Sophus3 data from our latest webinar shows the top cross-shop competitors alongside the Jaecoo 7, the UK's best-selling model in March 2026, include Audi, Tesla and BYD.
That's a striking mix. Buyers are evaluating across tiers in a way the market hasn't seen before.
65% of buyers are now cross-shopping a brand they don't currently own, up from 63% two years ago. This pattern held across 18 of the 20 consumer segments analysed.
Buyers aren't just moving within a tier. They're moving across tiers entirely, comparing badges that would once have sat in completely different conversations.
Tom Wharfe was direct on this point. Not every badge currently competing in the UK market will still be here in ten years.
The brands best placed to navigate that shift are the ones investing now in what makes them genuinely distinctive, rather than competing purely on price or spec sheets.
Cross-tier shopping isn't a blip. It's a sign that traditional tier boundaries are breaking down, and brand loyalty can no longer be assumed just because a buyer has bought the same badge before.
The brands paying attention to this now will be the ones still standing in ten years.