According to Gasgoo Data, passenger car registrations in Italy reached 131,921 in October 2026, up 4.8% year on year (down 5.3% month on month). Chinese brands posted 19,897 registrations, lifting their combined market share by 1.9 percentage points month on month to 15.1%, bucking the market trend.
BYD topped Chinese brands with 6,009 registrations, ranking seventh overall (up more than 200% year on year), while the Seal U DM-i (2,588 units) held on to the top spot among electrified models. MG (5,358 units, up 37.9%) ranked ninth and OMODA & JAECOO (4,988 units, up 171.8%) tenth, putting three Chinese brands in the top ten. BEV+PHEV penetration stood at 18.8% (BEV 6.1%, PHEV 12.7%), while HEVs and MHEVs retained their overwhelmingly dominant 49% share. Chinese brands are using a "PHEV leadership plus multi-powertrain" approach to break through Italy's entrenched brand barriers.
Brand Landscape
Fiat retained the top spot with 12,310 registrations (up 6.2% year on year), followed by Toyota (11,262 units, up 5.1%) and Volkswagen (9,289 units, down 5.0%). Multiple Chinese brands placed in the top ten: BYD rose to seventh, MG ranked ninth and OMODA & JAECOO tenth.
Electrification
BEV+PHEV penetration reached 18.8%, with BEV at just 6.1% and PHEV at 12.7%. HEVs and MHEVs accounted for 49% of the market, while ICE held 32%. BEV share slipped 1.5 percentage points month on month, PHEV share rose 1.6 percentage points, and the BYD Seal U DM-i continued to lead the electrified market.
Chinese Automaker Dynamics
BYD: With 6,009 registrations, No. 1 among Chinese brands and seventh overall. The Seal U DM-i led the PHEV segment, while the Dolphin Surf topped the BEV segment.
MG: With 5,358 units, ninth overall and up 37.9% year on year. The ZS (3,006 units) ranked fifth across all models and remains the best-selling Chinese model.
OMODA & JAECOO: With 4,988 units, tenth overall and up 171.8% year on year, on a precisely targeted ICE, hybrid and BEV line-up.
Leapmotor: One of the fastest-growing brands at 455.6% year on year, with 1,600 units in October.
Geely: Under clear pressure with no breakout model, as registrations fell 21.1% month on month to 614units.
Deepal: Strong potential on display, with registrations up 98.5% month on month to 520units.
Strategic Outlook
Italy's market grew 4.8% year on year, yet BEV penetration remains just 6.1%, with HEVs (49%) and ICE (32%) still dominant and the positions of local and Japanese brands firmly entrenched. Chinese brands pushing their share to 15.1% confirms that a multi-powertrain approach (HEV, PHEV and BEV) combined with small cars and urban SUVs is a viable route into Southern Europe's hybrid-led market. Over the near term, BEVs remain constrained by charging infrastructure and policy, making PHEVs such as the Seal U DM-i the spearhead of the transition, while the MG ZS (A0 segment) and OMODA & JAECOO's multi-powertrain matrix match urban driving conditions. Facing entrenched local competitors, Chinese automakers need diversified product portfolios and localized channels to turn the 15.1% share into a sustainable base.
