Italian Car Market Trends: February 2026 and Beyond

The Italian car market demonstrated a positive trend in February 2026, with 157,334 registrations, a 14% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Still, this growth was significantly influenced by short-term rental demand. Excluding rental figures, the actual market growth settled at 9% . The first two months of the year saw 299,373 registrations, representing a 10.2% increase year-over-year.

Shifting Customer Preferences

Sales channels saw an increase in private purchases, though their market share decreased to 52.2%. Short-term rentals experienced a substantial acceleration, jumping to 11.7%, while long-term rentals declined to 21.6%. Self-registrations saw a slight increase to 9.5%, and company purchases remained stable at 5%.

Powertrain Trends: Hybrid Dominance and Electric Growth

Hybrid vehicles continue to dominate the Italian market, capturing 51.9% of total sales. Mild hybrids account for 36.8% of this share, with full hybrids at 15.1%. Traditional fuel sources are declining: gasoline cars decreased to 20.2%, diesel to 6.5%, and LPG to 5%.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are showing growth, reaching 7.9% of the market, supported by government incentives. Plug-in hybrid vehicles also increased to 8.5%, benefiting from broader availability and regulatory changes regarding company car benefits.

Italy’s Energy Transition: A Lagging Position

Despite these gains, Italy lags behind the European average in the energy transition. With a 7.9% market share for EVs, Italy falls short of the European average of 19.7% for zero-emission cars, resulting in higher CO₂ levels compared to other EU nations.

The Industrial Accelerator Act

Industry attention is focused on the European Commission’s proposed Industrial Accelerator Act, which centers on the “Made in Europe” principle. This provision would require at least 70% of vehicle components (excluding batteries) to be of continental origin to qualify for incentives and public tenders for low-emission vehicles.

Best-Selling Models in February 2026

Fiat led the market in February 2026 with 21,077 registrations, a 42% increase. The new Fiat Grande Panda was a key driver of this success, ranking third overall in sales. The Fiat Panda remained the best-selling car with 12,603 units, followed by the Jeep Avenger with 5,984 deliveries.

Leap Motor also achieved a record month, with its T03 model ranking fourth with 4,778 registrations. The top ten were completed by the Toyota Yaris Cross, Citroën C3, Toyota Aygo X, Renault Clio, Renault Captur, and MG ZS.

The Volkswagen Group experienced a 15.7% growth, solidifying its second-place position. Key models included the T-Cross, alongside the Dacia Duster. The Toyota Yaris, Volkswagen Tiguan, and Peugeot 208 also performed well.

Top 20 Best-Selling Cars – February 2026