The Most Power Per Dirham in the UAE in 2026
The Jetour T2 i-DM wins outright: 600 hp from AED 144,000, roughly 240 dirhams per horsepower, and nothing else under AED 300,000 comes close. The Hyundai Kona N, from AED 72,000, is the pick if you want that power sent somewhere entertaining.
Quick Answer
This ranking divides each model's official power output by its starting price in the carprices.ae catalogue, drawn from 540 published 2025 and newer models. Lowest dirhams-per-horsepower wins. A further 58 models were left out entirely because the manufacturer has not announced a UAE price for them yet; a catalogue price of zero means unannounced, not free.
The one thing to know before you read on: every price here is a starting price, the cheapest trim in the range. Big power numbers and low entry prices do not always live in the same trim, and on several of these cars they demonstrably do not. Confirm on the window sticker, not the headline.
The Ranking
| # | Model | Starting price (AED) | Engine / Power | Body type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jetour T2 i-DM | AED 144,000 | 1.5L · Hybrid · 600 hp | Midsize SUV |
| 2 | Hyundai Kona N | AED 72,000 | 2.0L · Petrol · 276 hp | Midsize SUV |
| 3 | Maxus G10 | AED 61,000 | 2.0L · Petrol · 224 hp | MPV |
| 4 | VinFast VF 8 | AED 115,900 | Electric · 402 hp | Fullsize SUV |
| 5 | Jaecoo J7 SHS | AED 99,900 | 1.5L · Hybrid · 328 hp | Midsize SUV |
| 6 | Chery Tiggo 7 Hybrid | AED 94,900 | 1.5L · Hybrid · 308 hp | Midsize SUV |
| 7 | Zotye T300 | AED 45,798 | 1.5L · Petrol · 144 hp | Midsize SUV |
| 8 | Denza B5 | AED 186,900 | Hybrid · 570 hp | Fullsize SUV |
| 9 | Riddara RD6 | AED 139,500 | Electric · 422 hp | Pick-Up |
| 10 | XPENG G9 | AED 192,500 | Electric · 575 hp | Fullsize SUV |
(Source: carprices.ae catalogue.)
1. 2025 Jetour T2 i-DM
Six hundred horsepower for AED 144,000 is the single most absurd number in this catalogue, and it comes from a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine working with electric motors in a plug-in hybrid setup. There is one trim, the 1.5TD, so the price and the power belong to the same car; that is rarer here than you would think. It is a boxy, upright midsize SUV with genuine off-road styling intent. Neither its electric-only range nor its fuel consumption is published for the UAE, so ask the dealer.
2. 2025 Hyundai Kona N
The only car on this list built by a performance division rather than a spreadsheet. A 2.0-litre turbo petrol four making 276 hp, single trim, from AED 72,000, and it is the cheapest way into a properly engineered hot hatch experience in the UAE. It will not win the drag race against the electric entries below it, but it steers, brakes and downshifts like something that was developed on a circuit. Hyundai's UAE dealer network is also the deepest of any brand here by a distance.
3. 2025 Maxus G10
An eight-seat MPV is a strange thing to find third in a power-per-dirham table, but AED 61,000 for 224 hp is simple arithmetic. This is the cheapest entry point of any model here bar the Zotye, and it is a genuinely useful vehicle: school runs, airport runs, a business shuttling staff. The 2.0-litre turbo petrol is adequate rather than quick in a van this size. The range climbs to AED 79,000 for the top 2.4L Standard trim, which is not the car at AED 61,000.
4. 2026 VinFast VF 8
402 hp from a full-size electric SUV starting at AED 115,900 is aggressive pricing, and VinFast has to price aggressively because almost nobody in the UAE has heard of it. The range tops out at AED 125,900 for the Plus trim, so the spread is narrow. What should slow you down is the support question: the UAE service and charging footprint for this brand is thin compared with Hyundai or Chery. Battery range and warranty terms are not confirmed here; get both in writing.
5. 2025 Jaecoo J7 SHS
Jaecoo is Chery's more upmarket badge, and the J7 SHS is its plug-in hybrid: a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine plus electric drive for a combined 328 hp, from AED 99,900 in the single 1.5T DHE Trend specification. Under six figures for that output, in a midsize SUV with a properly finished cabin, is the most sensible-looking entry in the whole table. Chery's UAE parts and service network is already established, which matters more than a spec sheet on year four of ownership.
6. 2025 Chery Tiggo 7 Hybrid
Effectively the Jaecoo's cheaper sibling, and it costs AED 5,000 less for 20 hp less, which is why it sits one place below. The 1.5T DHT is the single trim, 308 hp, from AED 94,900. It is the safer buy of the two in dealer terms, because Chery has been selling volume in the UAE for years and the Tiggo name is already on used-car forecourts in Sharjah and Ajman. Nobody will call it exciting. It is a lot of drivetrain for the money.
7. 2025 Zotye T300
Let us be honest about this one. The T300 makes this list purely because it starts at AED 45,798, the cheapest car here; 144 hp through a CVT in a midsize SUV body is slow, and it will feel slow merging onto Sheikh Zayed Road with the air conditioning working hard at 45°C. The range runs to AED 58,905 for the top Luxury trim. Buy it as cheap, air-conditioned, brand-new transport with a warranty, not as a performance car. It is neither fast nor interesting.
8. 2026 Denza B5
Denza is BYD's premium arm, and the B5 is a full-size plug-in hybrid SUV with 570 hp, from AED 186,900, rising to AED 211,900 for the Flagship trim. It is the most convincingly premium object in the lower half of this table: proper off-road hardware, a serious interior, real presence in a hotel forecourt. It ranks eighth only because 186,900 dirhams buys the entry car, not the flagship. As a Dubai-to-Hatta weekend vehicle it makes more sense than anything above it except the Jetour.
9. 2025 Riddara RD6
An electric pick-up with 422 hp from AED 139,500, which is a combination that simply did not exist at this price two years ago. The range extends to AED 169,500 for the 86kWh Ultra X (4WD) trim, so the four-wheel-drive version is not the entry car. As a site vehicle or a fleet purchase it is compelling; as a private buy it is a gamble, because the brand is new to the UAE and there is no verified resale data for it yet. Charging access on site is your first question.
10. 2026 XPENG G9
The G9 has the second-highest power figure in this table, 575 hp, and lands tenth only because AED 192,500 is the highest entry price of the ten. That is not a criticism of the car. It is the most technically sophisticated thing here: a full-size electric SUV with a genuinely advanced cabin, a range stretching to AED 232,000 for the AWD Performance trim. XPENG's UAE presence is growing but still concentrated in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Range figures for the entry car are not confirmed.
What This Means for UAE Drivers
Power per dirham is a fun metric and a poor buying rule on its own. Here is what actually decides the outcome in this market.
Heat is the filter. Everything on this list has to survive a July afternoon where the tarmac is far hotter than the air, and every one of these drivetrains sheds performance when the cooling system is fighting for its life. Turbo petrol engines and hybrids handle it in a way that is well understood; large-battery EVs also cope, but they charge more slowly when the pack is hot, which turns a quick top-up at a Yas Island charger into a longer stop than the app promised. If your parking is uncovered in Sharjah, that matters daily.
Service network beats spec sheet. The Hyundai Kona N and the Chery Tiggo 7 Hybrid are backed by the most established dealer footprints in this group. Jetour, Jaecoo, Maxus and Denza are all serviceable in the major emirates. VinFast, Riddara and Zotye are the ones where you should physically visit the nearest service centre before you buy and ask how long a common part takes to arrive. A cheap car that sits waiting for a component for three weeks is not cheap.
For a Dubai commute of 30 to 50 km a day, the electric entries are the strongest financial case, provided you have charging at home or at the office; the VinFast VF 8 and XPENG G9 are the obvious candidates, and the Kona N is the one you will actually enjoy in traffic-free moments. For the Sharjah to Abu Dhabi run, roughly 170 km each way at sustained 120 to 140 km/h, the plug-in hybrids are the safer bet: the Jetour T2 i-DM, Jaecoo J7 SHS and Denza B5 all carry a petrol engine, so a charger queue never becomes your problem. None of these cars has a published fuel-consumption figure in our data, so budget your running costs from a dealer quote rather than a guess.
Resale is the quiet cost. Hyundai holds value in the UAE in a way the newer Chinese entrants have not yet had time to prove; several brands here are too recently launched for any verified UAE resale data to exist. Factor that into a three-year ownership plan, because the gap between purchase price and trade-in value is usually larger than the fuel bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most powerful car you can buy under AED 300,000 in the UAE?
By starting price, the Jetour T2 i-DM at 600 hp from AED 144,000 is the most powerful car in our under-AED 300,000 catalogue set, ahead of the XPENG G9 at 575 hp and the Denza B5 at 570 hp. It is also the cheapest of those three, which is why it tops this ranking.
Does the starting price get me the trim shown in the pictures?
Usually not. Every figure in the table is the cheapest trim in that model's range. Where we name a trim, such as the Maxus G10's 2.0L Luxury at AED 79,000, that is the top of the range, not the entry car. Only the Jetour, Hyundai, Jaecoo and Chery here are sold as single trims.
Are these Chinese hybrids a safe bet for resale in Dubai?
Chery and its Jaecoo sub-brand have the longest UAE track record of the group and the widest service coverage. Denza, Riddara and VinFast are recent arrivals, and no verified UAE resale data exists for them yet. If you plan to sell within three years, that uncertainty is a real cost and should shape your choice.
Why are some 2026 models missing from this ranking?
Fifty-eight models in our 2025 and newer catalogue have no announced UAE price. A catalogue entry of zero means the manufacturer has not published a figure, not that the car is inexpensive, so they cannot be ranked on dirhams per horsepower. They will appear once official pricing is confirmed by the local distributor.
Is the Hyundai Kona N still worth it against a 400 hp electric SUV?
If you value how a car drives rather than how quickly it accelerates in a straight line, yes. At AED 72,000 it is the cheapest entry here after the Zotye and the only one developed by a dedicated performance division. The electric SUVs will out-punch it; none of them will out-handle it.
