Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) continued its upward trend in the European market (EU, EFTA, UK), recording sales growth for the third month in a row after solid results in August. In September, the automaker delivered 165,457 vehicles across the region — an increase of 11.5% year over year — and nudged its market share up from 13.3% in 2024 to 13.4%.
Despite the recent momentum, Stellantis’ total registrations over the first nine months of 2025 fell 5.6% to 1,464,419 units. Market share for the period dipped slightly from 15.9% to 14.7%. Among its brands, Alfa Romeo led the gains with a 39.4% surge in registrations, while Lancia suffered a steep 71% drop.
“One of the main drivers of this performance was the ‘smart car’ strategy. Models such as the Citroën C3, Citroën C3 Aircross, Fiat Grande Panda, and Opel Frontera significantly increased their order intake, helping Stellantis maintain its leadership in the strategic hybrid vehicle segment, with a 15.2% share since January, an increase of 4.1 percentage points compared to September 2024,” the company stated.
The positive result aligns with a broader market recovery across Europe, where overall registrations climbed 10.7% in September to 1,236,876 vehicles. Growth was fueled by double-digit gains in Spain (+16.4%) and Germany (+12.8%), alongside moderate advances in Italy (+4.2%) and France (+1%). This rebound offsets the sluggish performance earlier in the year and positions the market for a modest year-to-date increase.
In the electrification segment, plug-in hybrids registered strong momentum, surging 32% year over year. Their share of total registrations grew from 7.1% in the first nine months of 2024 to 9.3% in the same period this year. Italy remains behind the curve, with electric vehicle registrations up 26.6% but market share only rising from 4% to 5.2%. Analysts are watching upcoming October figures closely to assess the impact of newly introduced incentives.
Other major automakers also posted gains. Renault grew its registrations by 15.2%, while Volkswagen Group recorded a 4.4% increase year-to-date and 9.7% in September alone. Among fast-growing players, SAIC Motor reached a 2.7% market share for the month, while Tesla, Inc. slipped to 3.2% in September and 1.7% year-to-date. BYD Company captured 2% for the month, quadrupling its share from the same period last year.
“In September 2025, new car registrations in the EU increased by 0.9% compared to the same period the previous year, marking the third consecutive month of growth,” noted the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA). The association attributed part of the boost to new model launches, with September alone seeing a 10% surge. Battery-electric vehicles held a stable market share of 16.1%, while hybrids remained the top choice among buyers.
“This is undoubtedly good news, accompanied by further good news regarding electric cars, which in the January-September period saw registrations in Western Europe stand at 1,796,688, an increase of 25.4% over the same period last year, reaching a market share of 18.1% versus 14.7% in 2024,” added the Promotor Research Center led by Gian Primo Quagliano.