Italy’s market for new passenger vehicles opened 2026 with a positive outcome in January, when registrations climbed 6.18% compared with the same month a year earlier to about 142,000 units, transport ministry figures showed on Monday.
That uptick follows a full-year 2025 marked by a decline in overall demand: registrations for the calendar year fell 2.1% to roughly 1.56 million cars, the data indicate.
Market leader Stellantis outperformed the broader market in January. Sales at the group - whose brand portfolio includes Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and the Chinese joint venture Leapmotor - rose by around 11%, giving it a market share of 32.6% based on the available calculations.
Chinese manufacturers continued to expand their foothold in the Italian market in January. BYD delivered approximately 3,553 vehicles in Italy, a year-on-year increase of about 330%. Chery’s Omoda and Jaecoo models together recorded an uplift of around 357%, reaching roughly 2,496 units.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s sales in Italy increased by 75% in January to 713 units, according to the same dataset.
The transport ministry figures provide a monthly snapshot that contrasts with the 2025 full-year decline. January’s gain demonstrates a measure of near-term momentum, with market share shifts visible among legacy manufacturers and faster-growing new entrants.
Further monthly data will be required to determine the durability of the improvement seen in January and how it translates into broader industry performance for 2026.