Chinese cars in Italy: which brands sell there and since when
Facts checked
Italy is the second-largest European market for Chinese brands after the United Kingdom. In 2025 Chinese marques took 128,600 registrations, up 72.7% on 2024, for an 8.4% share of a market that shrank 2.1% to a little over 1.5 million cars. MG led with 49,904, ahead of BYD on 23,621, the Italian assembler DR on 18,315, Omoda and Jaecoo together on 15,540 and Leapmotor on 7,469.
Italy is unusual in having a domestic company built on Chinese vehicles. DR Automobiles, based at Macchia d'Isernia in Molise, assembles and badges vehicles derived from Chery, JAC and Dongfeng products under its own DR, EVO, Sportequipe, ICH-X and Tiger marques. DR is Italian-owned, so its cars are not Chinese-brand sales, but they are counted in the Chinese-origin totals above and are a large part of why Italy's figure is so high.
Italy voted in favour of the EU's definitive countervailing duties on 4 October 2024 and applies them like every member state: the EU's standard 10% duty on imported cars, plus 7.8% to 35.3% on battery electric cars built in China depending on the producer. Plug-in hybrids and combustion models are not covered, which is one reason the fastest-growing Chinese models in Italy have been hybrids rather than pure EVs.
At a glance
| Country code | IT |
|---|---|
| Region | Europe |
| Market status | Open |
| Brands recorded | 17 |
| Chinese-owned plants | 0 |
| Models on this site | 14 |
Brands sold in Italy
| Brand | Status | Since | Route to market | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 名爵MG | Sold | March 2021 | The company itself | MG began Italian sales in March 2021 with a network across the north and centre of the country. 49,904 registrations in 2025, comfortably the largest Chinese-owned brand in Italy. |
| 比亚迪BYD | Sold | 2023 | The company itself | 23,621 registrations in 2025. |
| 欧萌达Omoda | Sold | 2024 | The company itself | Italy was Chery's second European market for Omoda and Jaecoo, from the third quarter of 2024. The two brands took 15,540 registrations between them in 2025. |
| 奇瑞探索Jaecoo | Sold | 2024 | The company itself | Launched alongside Omoda in the third quarter of 2024. |
| 零跑Leapmotor | Sold | September 2024 | A joint venture | One of the nine European launch countries for Leapmotor International. 7,469 registrations in 2025. |
| 小鹏Xpeng | Sold | not published | An independent importer | Xpeng named Italy among the markets to follow its March 2024 German launch; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 极氪Zeekr | Sold | 2025 | The company itself | Zeekr opened Italian sales in 2025 as part of a southern-European push alongside Spain and Portugal. |
| 东风Dongfeng | Sold | not published | An independent importer | Dongfeng sells in Italy both under its own badge and through vehicles supplied to DR Automobiles; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 领克Lynk & Co | Sold | not published | The company itself | Lynk & Co opened one of its European city clubs in Italy; entry date not established in this pass. The brand became a Zeekr subsidiary in February 2025. |
| 腾势Denza | Sold | April 2026 | The company itself | Italy was among the first five European sales countries at Denza's launch on 8 April 2026. |
| 极星Polestar | Sold | not published | The company itself | |
| 沃尔沃Volvo Cars | Sold | not published | The company itself | Geely Holding has owned Volvo Cars since 2010; Italian entry long predates that. |
| 智马达smart | Sold | not published | The company itself | A 50/50 Mercedes-Benz–Geely Holding joint venture since 2020. |
| 路特斯Lotus | Sold | not published | An independent importer | Geely Holding has held a controlling stake since 2017. |
| 上汽大通Maxus | Sold | not published | An independent importer | SAIC's Maxus sells mainly light commercial vehicles; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 东风小康DFSK | Sold | not published | An independent importer | DFSK vehicles have been sold in Italy through an importer; entry date not established in this pass. |
| 爱驰Aiways | Withdrawn | not published | An independent importer | Italy was one of Aiways's target European markets; production in China stopped in the summer of 2023 and the company withdrew from its home market in 2024. |
The rules
Stated from the document that issued them, with the date each was read. Nothing here is an interpretation.
| Rule | What it says | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU import duty on cars | The European Union's standard most-favoured-nation duty on imported passenger cars is 10%. Any countervailing duty is charged on top of it. | European Commission, Access2Markets | |
| Countervailing duties on China-built battery electric cars | Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754 of 29 October 2024 imposed definitive countervailing duties on new battery electric vehicles for the transport of persons originating in China, applicable from 30 October 2024 for five years: BYD Group 17.0%, Geely Group 18.8%, SAIC Group 35.3%, Tesla (Shanghai) 7.8%, other cooperating companies 20.7%, all other non-cooperating companies 35.3%. Only battery electric cars are covered; plug-in hybrids and combustion models are not. | European Commission, Access2Markets | |
| Price undertakings as an alternative to the duties | On 12 January 2026 the European Commission published guidance on how Chinese exporters may offer a price undertaking instead of paying the duty, covering the minimum import price, sales channels, cross-compensation, annual volume caps and future investment in the EU. | European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security | |
| First accepted price undertaking | On 10 February 2026 the Commission accepted a price undertaking from Volkswagen (Anhui) Automotive Company Ltd. covering the Cupra Tavascan, in exchange for a minimum import price, a volume limit and defined EU investment milestones. The duties remain in force for every other exporter. | European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security | |
| Italy's vote on the duties | Italy voted in favour of the definitive countervailing duties in the member-state vote of 4 October 2024, in which ten states supported the measure, twelve abstained and five voted against. | Stellantis N.V. |
Western badges built in China and sold in Italy
| Model | Badge | Plant | Years | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | Dacia | Shiyan, Hubei | 2021–present | |
| C5 X | Citroën | Chengdu, Sichuan | 2022–present | |
| Tavascan | Cupra | Volkswagen Anhui, Hefei | 2024–present | Covered by the EU price undertaking accepted on 10 February 2026. |
| Cooper Electric and Aceman | Mini | Spotlight Automotive, Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu | 2023–present | |
| Model 3 | Tesla | Gigafactory Shanghai | 2021–present | Start year for Shanghai supply not confirmed from a primary source. |
| EX30 | Volvo | Zhangjiakou, Hebei; also Ghent, Belgium from April 2025 | 2023–present | |
| S90 | Volvo | Daqing, Heilongjiang | 2018–present | |
| Polestar 2, 3 and 4 | Polestar | Luqiao, Chengdu and Ningbo | 2020–present | |
| #1 and #3 | smart | Xi'an, Shaanxi | 2023–present | |
| Eletre and Emeya | Lotus | Wuhan, Hubei | 2023–present |
BMW iX3 (G08) · Citroen C5 X · Cupra Tavascan · Dacia Spring · DS Automobiles DS 9 · Honda e:Ny1 · Lotus Eletre · Lotus Emeya · Mazda 6e · MG MG3 · MG MG4 EV · Mini Cooper E / Cooper SE (J01) · Polestar Polestar 2 · smart #1 · Tesla Model 3 · Volvo EX30
Models recorded in Italy
| Model | Body | Status | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chery Tiggo 4 | SUV | Sold | not published |
| Chery Tiggo 7 | SUV | Sold | 93 km NEDC |
| IM Motors IM5 | Saloon | Sold | 490 km WLTP |
| IM Motors IM6 | SUV | Sold | 450 km WLTP |
| Jaecoo Jaecoo 7 | SUV | Sold | 90 km WLTP |
| Jetour Jetour T2 | SUV | Sold | 100 km (manufacturer figure, cycle not stated) |
| MG MG3 | Hatchback | Sold | not published |
| MG MG4 | Hatchback | Sold | 437 km CLTC |
| MG MG5 | Saloon | Withdrawn | 320 km WLTP |
| MG MG Cyberster | Coupé | Sold | 507 km WLTP |
| MG MG HS | SUV | Sold | 135 km NEDC |
| MG MG S5 EV | SUV | Sold | 450 km WLTP |
| MG MG ZS | Crossover | Sold | 263 km WLTP |
| Omoda Omoda 5 | SUV | Sold | 430 km WLTP |
Best sellers
| Model | Brand | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| MG | MG | 2025 | Brand total: 49,904 registrations, the largest Chinese-owned brand in Italy. |
| BYD | BYD | 2025 | Brand total: 23,621 registrations. |
| DR | 2025 | Brand total: 18,315 registrations. DR Automobiles is an Italian company at Macchia d'Isernia that assembles and badges vehicles derived from Chery, JAC and Dongfeng products; its cars are counted in Italy's Chinese-origin totals. | |
| Omoda and Jaecoo | Omoda | 2025 | 15,540 registrations for the two Chery brands combined. |
| Leapmotor | Leapmotor | 2025 | Brand total: 7,469 registrations. |
Chinese cars in Italy: questions people ask
- How many Chinese cars are sold in Italy?
- 128,600 in 2025, up 72.7% on the year before and 8.4% of a market of a little over 1.5 million cars. That makes Italy the second-largest European market for Chinese brands after the United Kingdom.
- What is DR Automobiles?
- An Italian company based at Macchia d'Isernia in Molise that assembles and badges vehicles derived from Chery, JAC and Dongfeng products under the DR, EVO, Sportequipe, ICH-X and Tiger names. It is Italian-owned, so its cars are not Chinese-brand sales, but it registered 18,315 vehicles in 2025 and is counted in Italy's Chinese-origin figures.
- Which Chinese brand sells best in Italy?
- MG, by a wide margin: 49,904 registrations in 2025 against BYD's 23,621.
- Do the EU tariffs apply to every Chinese car sold in Italy?
- No. The countervailing duties of Regulation (EU) 2024/2754 cover only battery electric cars built in China. Plug-in hybrids and combustion models pay just the EU's standard 10% import duty, which is one reason Chinese hybrids have grown fastest in Italy.
- How did Italy vote on the EU tariffs?
- Italy voted in favour on 4 October 2024, with nine other member states. Twelve abstained and five, including Germany, voted against.
- Are there Chinese-owned car factories in Italy?
- No. Chinese-designed vehicles are assembled in Italy by DR Automobiles at Macchia d'Isernia, but that company is Italian-owned. No Chinese carmaker operates a plant of its own in Italy.
What changed
The only dated surface on this page. It records status changes, not news.
-
BYD launches its Denza brand in Europe, with Italy among the first sales countries.
-
The Commission accepts the first price undertaking, from Volkswagen (Anhui) for the Cupra Tavascan.
European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security
-
The European Commission publishes guidance on price undertakings as an alternative to the duties.
European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security
-
UNRAE's 2025 figures show Chinese brands at 128,600 registrations and an 8.4% share, making Italy the second-largest European market for them.
-
Italy votes in favour of the EU's definitive countervailing duties on Chinese battery electric cars.
-
Leapmotor International begins Italian sales, one of nine European launch countries.
-
Chery launches Omoda and Jaecoo in Italy, its second European market for the two brands.
-
MG begins Italian sales with a dealer network across the north and centre of the country.
Related
Sources for Italy
- Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex), Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2754 of 29 October 2024. Read .
- European Commission, Access2Markets, EU Commission imposes countervailing duties on imports of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from China. Read .
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, Commission issues Guidance Document on submission of price undertaking offers for battery electric vehicles from China. Read .
- European Commission, Directorate-General for Trade and Economic Security, Commission accepts price undertaking from Chinese electric car producer. Read .
- Stellantis N.V., Leapmotor International Begins Operations to Expand Global Electric Vehicle Sales Starting September 2024 in Nine European Countries. Read .
- MG Motor Europe, MG expands in Europe: where are we for sale and where soon?. Read . MG's own account of the Italian launch in March 2021.
- CGTN Europe, Jaecoo and Omoda set to launch in Italy amid EU state subsidy probe. Read .
- Automoto.it, Auto cinesi in Italia 2025: vendite raddoppiate, quota mercato all'8,4%. Read . Full-year 2025 Italian figures by brand, from UNRAE data.
- CnEVPost, Denza enters European market as BYD debuts flash charging tech in Paris. Read .
- UNRAE (Unione Nazionale Rappresentanti Autoveicoli Esteri), Immatricolazioni. Read . Italy's importers' association publishes monthly registrations by brand, by group, by fuel type and a top-50 model table; the brand figures quoted here come from published analyses of that series.
- European Council on Foreign Relations, Divided we stand: The EU votes on Chinese electric vehicle tariffs. Read . The 4 October 2024 tally. Italy's vote in favour is from contemporaneous reporting of the same vote; the Council does not publish member-state votes on implementing regulations.
- The Car Expert, Which new cars are built in China?. Read .