Chinese brands, 2016 | Chinese brands, 2026 | European brands, 2026 | Electrified headlines, 2026 |
3.6% | 22.5% | 13.9% | 19.9% |
Of our headlines | Now ahead of every other origin | Down from 43% in 2016 | Up from 1.7% in 2016 |
Key takeaways
· Chinese brands were named in 3.6% of our 2016 headlines and 22.5% of 2026's, 2.4 times the Japanese share.1
· The break came in 2023, when their share jumped from 4.8% to 21.4% in a single year.1
· European brands fell from 43% of headlines to 13.9%, and Japanese brands from 20.5% to 9.3%.1
· Electrified cars rose from 1.7% of headlines in 2016 to 19.9% in 2026, about one in five.1
Ten years, one big shift
We classified every YallaMotor headline our archive holds from 2016 to 6 October 2026 by the brands it names. In 2016, European brands dominated, named in 43% of headlines, with Japanese brands at 20.5% and Chinese brands at 3.6%.1
By 2026 the order had reversed at the top. Chinese brands were named in 22.5% of headlines, European brands in 13.9% and Japanese brands in 9.3%.1
2016 against 2026
Share of headlines naming a brand of each origin.
Item | 2016 | 2026 |
Chinese | 3.6% | 22.5% |
Japanese | 20.5% | 9.3% |
European | 43.0% | 13.9% |
Korean | 4.6% | 3.3% |
American | 10.0% | 4.8% |
Source: YallaMotor coverage statistics.1
2023: the year the newcomers arrived
For seven years Chinese brands stayed on the fringe of the conversation, between 1.7% and 8% of headlines. Then, from 4.8% in 2022, their share jumped to 21.4% in 2023, up 16.6 points in one year. It has stayed at 18.8% or more ever since.1
By the end of 2023 the coverage had changed shape too: alongside launch news from abroad, we were publishing guides to the Chinese brands UAE buyers could actually choose from.1,2
Chinese brands overtook Japanese and European brands in our headlines
Share of each year's headlines naming a brand of that origin, 2016 to 2026.
Item | European | Japanese | Chinese |
2016 | 43.0% | 20.5% | 3.6% |
2017 | 29.1% | 29.5% | 1.7% |
2018 | 20.7% | 20.9% | 3.1% |
2019 | 31.0% | 23.8% | 8.0% |
2020 | 30.1% | 19.7% | 4.6% |
2021 | 35.0% | 22.6% | 5.3% |
2022 | 39.7% | 16.4% | 4.8% |
2023 | 24.0% | 15.3% | 21.4% |
2024 | 22.3% | 20.4% | 18.8% |
2025 | 19.1% | 10.6% | 20.3% |
2026 | 13.9% | 9.3% | 22.5% |
Source: YallaMotor coverage statistics; 2026 to 6 October.1
Japanese brands held their place for longer, between 15.3% and 29.5% of headlines until 2024, before dropping to 10.6% in 2025 and 9.3% in 2026. Chinese brands overtook both Japanese and European brands in 2025, at 20.3% against 10.6% and 19.1%.1
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Europe and Japan now share the stage
The biggest fall is European. Brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche were named in 43% of 2016 headlines and 13.9% of 2026's, down 29.1 points. Japanese brands lost 11.2 points; their 2026 share is 45% of what it was in 2016.1
Korean and American brands have also given up space. Korean brands fell from 4.6% to 3.3% of headlines and American brands from 10% to 4.8%.1
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One headline in five is now electrified
The other long trend is electrification. In 2016, 1.7% of our headlines were about electric, hybrid or plug-in cars. The share passed 13.7% in 2022 and reached 20.3% in 2025 and 19.9% in 2026, 11.7 times its 2016 level.1
Electrified cars went from 1.7% to one headline in five
Share of each year's headlines about electric, hybrid or plug-in cars.
Item | Electrified |
2016 | 1.7% |
2017 | 2.6% |
2018 | 2.8% |
2019 | 5.5% |
2020 | 9.6% |
2021 | 6.5% |
2022 | 13.7% |
2023 | 9.7% |
2024 | 12.8% |
2025 | 20.3% |
2026 | 19.9% |
Source: YallaMotor coverage statistics.1
The rise was not smooth. Electrified headlines reached 13.7% in 2022, slipped to 9.7% in 2023 and 12.8% in 2024, then jumped to 20.3% in 2025.1
The two trends rose together. Chinese brands' share jumped in 2023, and electrified headlines reached their highest share of the decade two years later.1
Year by year, and what it does not show
Year | Chinese (%) | Japanese (%) | European (%) | Korean (%) | American (%) | Electrified (%) |
2016 | 3.6 | 20.5 | 43.0 | 4.6 | 10.0 | 1.7 |
2017 | 1.7 | 29.5 | 29.1 | 10.0 | 13.9 | 2.6 |
2018 | 3.1 | 20.9 | 20.7 | 8.2 | 10.8 | 2.8 |
2019 | 8.0 | 23.8 | 31.0 | 7.0 | 15.0 | 5.5 |
2020 | 4.6 | 19.7 | 30.1 | 8.6 | 15.2 | 9.6 |
2021 | 5.3 | 22.6 | 35.0 | 8.5 | 5.3 | 6.5 |
2022 | 4.8 | 16.4 | 39.7 | 5.9 | 9.9 | 13.7 |
2023 | 21.4 | 15.3 | 24.0 | 3.9 | 10.1 | 9.7 |
2024 | 18.8 | 20.4 | 22.3 | 4.0 | 7.9 | 12.8 |
2025 | 20.3 | 10.6 | 19.1 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 20.3 |
2026 | 22.5 | 9.3 | 13.9 | 3.3 | 4.8 | 19.9 |
Share of each year's headlines naming a brand of each origin, and the share about electrified cars. Comparison headlines count for each origin they name; 2026 runs to 6 October.1
For the trade, the practical reading is that a launch, a price or a review from a Chinese brand now competes for the same attention the established names commanded on their own a decade ago.1
Readers have moved further than the coverage. In 2026, articles naming a Chinese brand drew 64.2% of page views, almost three times their share of headlines.1,3
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Frequently asked questions
When did Chinese car brands take off in GCC car news?
In 2023. Their share of YallaMotor headlines jumped from 4.8% in 2022 to 21.4% in 2023 and has stayed at 18.8% or more since.1
Have Chinese brands overtaken Japanese brands?
In our headlines, yes. Chinese brands passed Japanese and European brands in 2025, and in 2026 they were named in 22.5% of headlines against 9.3% for Japanese brands. That is attention, not sales.1
Which brands lost the most ground?
European brands. They were named in 43% of our 2016 headlines and 13.9% of 2026's, a fall of 29.1 points. Japanese brands fell 11.2 points, from 20.5% to 9.3%.1
Why compare shares rather than numbers of articles?
Because our archive does not hold every article for every year: it holds 591 from 2016 but 236 from 2025. Shares within each year stay comparable when the totals differ.1
How much car news is about electric cars now?
About one headline in five. Electric, hybrid and plug-in cars were the subject of 19.9% of our 2026 headlines, against 1.7% in 2016.1
How we worked this out
We classified every YallaMotor headline our archive holds from 2016 to 6 October 2026 by the brands it names, using the country where each brand is headquartered; MG and ROX count as Chinese, and Volvo, Polestar and Lotus as European. Comparison headlines count towards each origin they name. A headline counts as electrified when it says electric, hybrid, plug-in, range-extender, EV, PHEV, HEV, EREV, REEV, NEV or BEV. Our crawl reached a different number of articles each year, so we compare shares within each year rather than article counts.
Sources
1. YallaMotor coverage statistics: headlines by brand origin and topic, 2016 to 2026 (YallaMotor readership data)
YallaMotor Research · 7 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
https://www.yallamotor.com/news
2. Top 10 Chinese Car Brands in UAE You Can Buy (YallaMotor article)
Ahmad Rashad Al Zeer · 24 Aug 2026 · retrieved 14 Sept 2026
https://www.yallamotor.com/news/top-10-chinese-car-brands-in-uae-you-can-buy-9016
3. YallaMotor readership statistics: articles published in 2026 (YallaMotor readership data)
YallaMotor Research · 7 Oct 2026 · retrieved 7 Oct 2026
https://www.yallamotor.com/news
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