Italy Full Year 2025: Fiat Panda #1 for 14th straight year, Grande Panda disappoints

The Fiat Grande Panda has not met expectations in 2025.

Consult almost 100 years of Italian Historical Data here

The Italian new car market is off -2.1% year-on-year in 2025 to 1,525,722 units. A weak result as this is 20.8% below the pre-pandemic result of 2019 (1,925,535). Worryingly, private sales drop -9.6% to 827,414 and 53.8% share vs. 58% last year, self registrations gain 2.1% to 182,080 and 11.8% share vs. 11.3% in 2024, long term leases jump 11.5% to 349,146 and 22.7% share vs. 19.9%, short term rentals are also in great shape at +11.9% to 88,718 and 5.8% share vs. 5% and company sales edge down -0.6% to 90,991 and 5.9% share vs. 5.8%.

In terms of alimentation, petrol sinks -18.3% to 373,711 and 24.3% share vs. 29%, diesel is off -33.7% to 144,757 and 9.4% share vs. 13.9%, HEVs are up 7.8% to 683,226 and 44.4% share vs. 40.2%, including 200,170 full hybrids (+7.3%) and 483,056 mild hybrids (+8.1%). PHEVs are up 88.1% to 99,424 and 6.5% share vs. 3.3% and BEVs advance 44% to 94,973 and 6.2% share vs. 4.2% in 2024. Note PHEVs and EVs reached a record combined share of 20.3% in December (see below for further explanations).

After being outsold for 5 consecutive months in 2024, Fiat managed to stay #1 each and every month in 2025. Some progress, but the annual result remains very weak at 9.4% share, the company’s second lowest ever at home below the 9.2% of last year. The Top 4 brands remain unchanged on last year: Toyota (-1.8%) is #2 ahead of Volkswagen (-7.6%) and Dacia (-2%). Peugeot (-3.5%) overtakes Renault (-14.7%) to round out the Top 5. Below, BMW (+3.1%) and Audi (+1.5%) are the only gainers in the Top 10, ranking at #7 and #8 respectively. MG (+24.9%) climbs to #13 while BYD (+752.2%), Omoda+Jaecoo (+519.7%) and Leapmotor (+2625.9%) all lodge surreal lifts.

The Leapmotor T03 was up to #8 in Italy in December.

Model-wise, the Fiat Panda (+2.6%) signs a 14th consecutive year at #1 and accounts for 71% of the carmaker’s annual volume vs. 69% last year. The Top 5 is identical to 2024: the Dacia Sandero (-18.1%) manages to stay at #2 despite a grim loss, and distances the Jeep Avenger (+17.5%) up to a record 3.2% share, the Citroen C3 (-0.4%) and the Toyota Yaris Cross (+1.2%). Boosted by the new generation, the Dacia Duster (+18.1%) leaps up five spots to break into the Top 10 at #7. It peaked at #3 in June and July. The MG ZS (+4.8%) also makes its entrance in the Italian Top 10 at #10. As far as I am concerned, the main story in Italy this year is the flop of the Fiat Grande Panda. Launched at the start of the year, the model only managed its first Top 50 finish in July (#28), peaked at #8 in September and fell back to around #20 for the rest of the year. This has not helped Fiat to bounce back in 2025.

Note that during the last couple of months of the year, a scrappage scheme for EVs offering a €11,000 discount on the purchase of a BEV when scrapping an old car with Euro 5 or earlier emissions rating distorted the market somewhat. The BYD Dolphin Surf, available from €8,310 after incentives, was up to #11 in November while the Leapmotor T03, down to an incredible €4,900 after incentives and a further €3,000 rebate from the manufacturer, was up to #8 in December. The T03’s advertising campaign promoted it as “cheaper than your bike”.

Previous year: Italy 2024: Fiat outsold for 5 consecutive months

Two years ago: Italy 2023: Market up 19%, Volkswagen topples Fiat in December

Full December 2025 Top 53 All brands and Top 50 models, Full Year 2025 Top 53 All brands and Top 50 models vs. Full Year 2024 figures below.