Italy February 2025: Fiat (-16.1%) embattled but in the lead

First Top 20 finish for the Fiat 600 at home.

It’s another disappointing result for the Italian new car market with February sales off -6.3% year-on-year to 137,922. This brings the year-to-date tally to 271,638, down -6.1% over the same period a year ago and -21% over pre-pandemic 2019. Private sales trail the market this month at -11.2% to 75.626 and 54.3% share vs. 57.1% a year ago, as they do year-to-date at -7.4% to 160,419 and 58.6% vs. 59.1%. Self registrations drop -9.7% to 12,353 for the month and -6% to 23,573 year-to-date. Long term leases (+11.1%) ignore the negative market to 33,449 and 24% share vs. 20.2% last year, and limit their fall to -1% year-to-date at 60,123 and 22% share vs. 20.7% over the same period in 2024. For their part short term rentals sink -17.2% to 9,880 and 7.1% share vs. 8% a year ago and are off -20.2% year-to-date to 14,212 and 5.2% vs. 6.1%.

Looking at sales by alimentation, petrol is down -20.7% to 36,552 and 26.3% share vs. 30.9% in February 2024 and off -18.9% year-to-date to 72,693 and 26.6% share vs. 30.6% a year ago. Diesel implodes -38.5% to 13,574 and 9.7% share vs. 14.8% last year and is off an even steeper -41.6% year-to-date to 26,154 and 9.6% share vs. 15.3%. LPG limits its fall to -5.1% to 13,781 and 9.9% share vs. 9.7% but is down -9.3% year-to-date to 27,496 and 10% share vs. 10.3%. HEV registrations are up 10.3% to 62,149 and 44.6% share vs. 37.8% a year ago. This includes 17,373 full hybrids (+16.6%) and 44,776 mild hybrids (+8%). Year-to-date, HEV sales are up 10.4% to 122,658 and 44.8% share vs. 37.9% including 32,884 full hybrids (+9.3%) and 89,774 mild hybrids (+10.8%). PHEVs surge 31.9% to 6,207 for the month and up 25.4% year-to-date to 11,075. Finally BEVs step up 38.2% to 6,980 and still very limited 5% share vs. 3.4% a year ago and up 70.6% YTD to 13,710 and 5% share vs. 2.7% in 2024.

In the brands charts, Fiat (-16.1%) manages to hold onto the top spot – this is not a given based on the misadventures of the past 6 months – at 10.7% share vs. 11.9% in January and 5.9% in December. Toyota (+1.8%) overtakes Dacia (+14.7%) to take 2nd place overall although Dacia remains at #2 year-to-date vs. #4 over the Full Year 2024. Volkswagen (+3.1%) stays at #4 just as Peugeot (-0.8%) stays 5th. BMW (+5%) edges up to #6, distancing Citroen (-1.5%) and Jeep (-3.1%) both up on their January rankings. Renault (-20.9%) and Audi (-12.7%) struggle and round out the Top 10. Below, MG (+49%), Mercedes (+27.5%) and Nissan (+10.3%) all shine. BYD (+3192.7%) breaks all records at #23 with 1,350 sales, crossing the symbolic 1% share mark.

The entire Top 11 models brave the negative context with year-on-year gains. The Fiat Panda (+4.8%) is the faraway leader again with 8.6% of the market, exactly double all other vehicles in market. The Dacia Sandero (+2.8%) is shy but stays at #2 ahead of the Citroen C3 (+27.5%) and Jeep Avenger (+58.5%). The Toyota Yaris (+20.7%) and Dacia Duster (+25.5%) follow while the MG ZS (+32.8%) is up three spots on January to #7, a ranking record also hit in December 2023 and December 2024. The VW T-Roc (+56.6%) is up 9 spots on last month to #10 and the Nissan Qashqai (+10.3%) up 17 to #11. The Fiat 600 (+2322%) breaks into its home Top 20 for the very first time at #17. The Alfa Romeo Junior (#27) is the best-selling recent launch ahead of the MG 3 (#32) and BYD Seal U (#45) cracking the Top 50 for the first time.

Previous month: Italy January 2025: Fiat back to #1, Dacia breaks share record

One year ago: Italy February 2024: Fiat Panda, Dacia Sandero and Citroen C3 top market up 12.8%

Full February 2025 Top 51 All brands and Top 50 models below.