Italy Auto Market Grows 7.6% in May, Chinese Brands Grab 13.4% Share

According to the latest data from Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT), new vehicle registrations reached 150,096 units in May, up 7.64% year-on-year.

Total registrations for the first five months of the year exceeded 790,000 units, representing growth of 9.38%.

As the market continued to recover, demand for new-energy vehicles also strengthened.

Supported by Italy’s Ecobonus environmental vehicle incentive program, battery-electric vehicles accounted for 8.8% of new registrations in May.

For the first five months of the year, BEVs represented 8.2% of the market, nearly double the level recorded during the same period last year.

Against this backdrop, Chinese automakers further expanded their presence. Data show that Chinese brands accounted for 13.4% of the Italian market in May.

Among them, BYD delivered the strongest performance. The company registered 6,019 vehicles during the month, up 209.5% year-on-year, lifting its market share to 4%.

The result allowed BYD to enter Italy’s top-10 automotive brands ranking for the first time, placing ninth overall.

The primary growth driver was the Atto 2 DM-i, which recorded monthly sales of 3,719 units, accounting for roughly 62% of BYD’s total volume.

The model also ranked sixth among all passenger vehicles sold in Italy during the month.

In May, BYD also shipped its first overseas-focused A0-segment hatchback, the Dolphin G DM-i, to Europe. The model is scheduled to launch in June, with customer deliveries expected to begin in the autumn.

MG ranked close behind. The SAIC Motor-owned brand registered 5,360 vehicles in May, up 24.7% year-on-year, placing tenth in Italy’s brand sales ranking.

SAIC has already confirmed plans to build MG’s first European vehicle manufacturing plant in Spain, with annual production capacity of 120,000 vehicles.

Localized production is becoming a central component of the company’s European strategy.

Leapmotor emerged as one of the fastest-growing Chinese brands in the market.

Benefiting from its partnership with Stellantis, the company registered 4,765 vehicles in Italy during May, more than twelve times 2025’s level.

Its compact EV, the T03, accounted for 4,250 units, representing nearly 90% of the brand’s total sales.

Notably, the T03 ranked third among all vehicle models sold in Italy during the month, behind only the Fiat Panda and Dacia Sandero, becoming the first Chinese-branded vehicle to enter the country’s top-three model ranking.

Meanwhile, Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo brands delivered combined sales of 3,975 units in May, up 302.3% year-on-year, maintaining strong growth momentum.

Traditional European brands continued to dominate the market, although growth remained relatively modest. Fiat retained the top position with 15,197 registrations.

Volkswagen and Toyota were the only other brands to exceed 10,000 monthly registrations. Volkswagen posted a modest 0.95% increase, while Toyota’s sales declined 7% year-on-year.