By 2028 there will be 27 new car brands in Italy, 90% Chinese

There will be 27 new car brands that have already entered or will enter the Italian car market by 2028, 90% of which will be Chinese (either by origin or ownership). And the market share of those already present is close to 6% (5.8% in the first quarter against 3.7% in 2024), a real leap from 0.4% in 2021. This is the first point highlighted by the New Brand Observatory, presented during the Automotive Dealer Day - House of Mobility held in Verona. From Quintegia's study it emerges in even greater detail that between 2021 and 2024 18 emerging brands will enter Italy, compared to 27 in the Top5 European markets, while between this year and 2028 another 9 are expected. In the main EU markets, on the other hand, there would be a total of 43: +16 compared to Italy, where interest is also growing as 49% of dealers (2024: 36%) have a focus on new brands for the near future.

As regards the prevailing offer of models, among those envisaged by the emerging brands that have entered Europe, it is in the C and D SUV segments: there are about ten each in Italy and about fifteen in the Old Continent. Weaker, on the other hand, is the proposal in segments A and B, little covered by the emerging brands and gradually less covered by the legacy brands. The arrival of new brands is also influencing consumer choices: according to Quintegia's Automotive Customer Study 2025, 44% of buyers say they are ready to consider these brands. A propensity that grows significantly among young people in Gen Z, where the percentage rises to 74%. The New Brand Observatory also shows that the number of new brand outlets in Italy is over 800, while in other markets it varies from around 300 in Germany to over 400 in Great Britain. Entrepreneurs (dealers) representing emerging brands in Italy are more than 400 and have a multi-brand multi-builder portfolio for more than 75 per cent. The arrival of new brands has also had an impact on the dynamics of the distribution network in Italy: while in 2015 dealers represented two brands, in 2025 with new brands they will reach an average of 3.5 brands represented; one in three dealers of traditional brands also represents emerging brands.