Italy June Auto Sales Grow 3.9% as Chinese Brands Expand Share to 14.3%

Latest data from the Italian National Association of the Automotive Industry (ANFIA) showed that new vehicle registrations in Italy reached 123,184 units in July 2026, up 3.9% year-on-year.

Although registrations fell 15.8% from June, the market recorded its seventh consecutive month of year-on-year growth.

During the first seven months of the year, cumulative new vehicle registrations in Italy totaled 1,060,175 units, an increase of 8.9% from the same period last year.

While the overall market continued to recover, the new energy vehicle market was affected by the withdrawal of subsidy programs.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) accounted for 5.9% of passenger car registrations in July, down sharply from 10.2% in June.

Chinese automakers, however, continued to expand their presence.

Chinese passenger vehicle brands registered 17,622 vehicles in Italy during July, up approximately 58% year-on-year, lifting their combined market share to 14.3%.

Over the first seven months of the year, Chinese brands registered more than 158,000 vehicles in Italy, accounting for 14.9% of the market—nearly double their share from the same period last year.

BYD maintained strong growth momentum. The company registered 4,466 vehicles in Italy in July, up 127% year-on-year.

This raises its market share to 3.63% and places it among the country’s top 10 best-selling brands for the third consecutive month.

BYD also captured 22.1% of Italy’s BEV market and 27.3% of the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) market, with the Atto 2 and Dolphin G DM-i serving as its primary sales drivers.

Chery Group’s Omoda and Jaecoo continued their rapid expansion.

The two brands recorded combined registrations of 3,786 units in July, up 168.5% year-on-year, representing roughly 3% of the Italian market.

Their simultaneous rollout of internal combustion engine and new energy models has helped broaden their market coverage.

Leveraging Stellantis’ distribution network, Leapmotor registered 1,124 vehicles in July, up 203% year-on-year.

During the first seven months of 2026, its cumulative registrations reached 25,398 units, more than 12 times higher than a year earlier.

Among Leapmotor’s models, the T03 ranked as Italy’s best-selling battery electric vehicle, with cumulative registrations of 22,361 units in the first seven months of the year.

It ranked fifth among all passenger vehicle models sold in Italy and was the only Chinese-brand model to enter the country’s overall top 10.

SAIC Motor’s MG experienced a temporary slowdown in monthly sales. The brand registered 3,696 vehicles in July, down 1.4% year-on-year.

However, cumulative registrations during the first seven months reached 34,851 units, up 5.5%.

By comparison, established automakers posted more modest growth. Fiat remained Italy’s best-selling brand, while Stellantis Group’s overall sales increased 0.7% year-on-year in July.

Volkswagen and Toyota registered 9,166 and 8,318 vehicles, respectively, representing year-on-year increases of 1.4% and 0.9%—both below the overall market growth rate.