A recent study of the dating app Ashley Madison placed three Catalan cities (Girona, Manresa, and Barcelona) as the most unfaithful in Spain. To this data, we must add the fact that Spain is one of the three most unfaithful countries in the world, accompanied by the United States and Brazil in the ranking of most unfaithful countries, and leading —with a certain distance— the European ranking, far ahead of Italy or Denmark.In an increasingly less monogamous context and open to discovering new personal experiences, car manufacturers have also realized that Spanish car buyers, and especially Catalans, no longer swear eternal love to a particular brand. Studies such as that of the consultancy JD Power reveal that a significant portion of buyers of certain luxury brands like Porsche or Mercedes-Benz do maintain a certain commitment and loyalty to the brand, and buy several models from the same manufacturer throughout their lives, but this feeling and emotional bond is practically nonexistent in Catalonia and the rest of Spain.Although it is not about making a treatise on sociology, it is enough to observe how the consumption habits of drivers in Catalonia have changed. While it is true that most of the population has a good memory of their parents' or grandparents' vehicles, and that there is a certain sense of pride regarding Seat (and now Cupra), the sentimental bond with a brand is not, by far, a decisive factor when buying a new car.In most European countries there is a buyer profile very linked to a specific brand. In France or Italy, for example, there are millions of people who always buy cars of a specific brand, such as Renault or Fiat, as they have a real emotional bond with the car manufacturer. This feeling or emotional bond explains the survival of brands like Vauxhall in the United Kingdom or the good sales figures for Opel in Germany, even though both brands are part of the Stellantis group, of Italian-American capital.An opportunity for the Chinese

When the major Chinese automotive groups have decided to take the step of manufacturing part of their vehicles in Europe, motivated by the European Union's tariff policy, they have looked for scenarios with a good communications network, efficient distribution, the existence of a network of experienced suppliers and qualified labor, but also an open market to buy different car brands without looking at their origin as long as the price and product fit well.The landing of the Chery group in Barcelona from the Zona Franca plant, where Ebro models are assembled and Omoda or Jaecoo models will soon be, is largely explained by the existence of a buyer profile that has no decisive emotional connection when changing cars, and who prioritizes the price and functionality of the car over the origin or roots of the manufacturer. In other words, the Chinese who have bet on Barcelona (and who want to bet on Almussafes, Zaragoza or other Spanish plants) do so, among other reasons, because of the real possibility of positioning their products without preconceptions or conditions regarding the origin of the vehicle, something that in France, the United Kingdom or Italy —countries with a strong sense of belonging and brand pride— does not seem possible at the moment.The profile of a Dacia Sandero buyer (the best-selling car in Spain in recent years) does not have a special interest or emotional attachment to Dacia. The Sandero buyer is looking for a reasonable car, at an affordable price and with features and possibilities that fit their needs, and it is precisely this buyer profile that has no problem buying a vehicle of Chinese origin (MG, Jaecoo, Omoda, Ebro...) as long as it has a competitive price and fits their daily needs.However, this automotive promiscuity can also become a double-edged sword. Not going any further, Catalans never felt a special affection for the Pulsar or the Patrol, to give two examples of models that Nissan manufactured for years and years in Barcelona before its departure and replacement by Ebro and the Chery group. In this regard, it is realistic to think that Catalan buyers will not feel any kind of sentimental attachment to products manufactured by Chery, despite Ebro's advertising efforts to strengthen its link and sense of belonging with local buyers, through the recovery of the Ebro trade name (or Santana in Andalusia) and by sponsoring events or even the Spanish national football team.The sustained relationship, key in the loyalty process

The major automotive manufacturers are aware of the particularity of the Spanish automotive market, and especially the Catalan one. The majority of Catalan buyers looking for a new vehicle do so from brands different from their current model, often motivated by after-sales service that has not generated synergies with their customers.That is why major European manufacturers, in a context of strong international competition, are looking for new systems to retain their customers, which involve a stable and sustained relationship with drivers through constant monitoring of buyers via the dealership network and official workshop inspections. This is because a good reputation in the interpersonal channel (the age-old word-of-mouth, you know) allows a brand to be commercially positioned in the collective imagination (like Toyota, for example) more than through communication campaigns in traditional media or through influencers on social networks.

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The automotive world is changing faster and faster, and novelties cease to be so in too short a time. In fact, the commercial life of a passenger car is approximately ten years, with various aesthetic updates or restyling that allow cars to maintain a fresh, young, and modern image.The process of replacing models with newer and more modern generations has accelerated in recent years due to the arrival of electrification and digitalization of automobiles, causing models with combustion or semi-hybrid engines to be somewhat sidelined in dealerships in the face of the arrival of more modern, digital, and plug-in models. On the contrary, there are models with years of production that have become practically perfect machines, as they have become cars tested and perfected practically to the extreme, in which the possible incidents and teething problems that a car can have in the initial phase of its production have been improved.It is worth mentioning that modern cars pass all relevant certifications and approvals, but with the passage of years and kilometers, some potential endemic problems or weak points may arise: from a faulty cooling system to electronic folding mirror systems that do not work. Manufacturers, the first to be interested in maintaining the delicate balance between brand reputation and the cost of warranty replacements and repairs, introduce improvements in their cars' production processes to make them increasingly perfected and reliable machines.A more competitive price for a product with guarantees

Let's take the case of the Seat Ibiza or the Seat Arona. Both are cars with more than six years on the market, and while it is true that aesthetically they do not represent any striking novelty, the various aesthetic updates they have received and the deep knowledge of the models in their production process have made them almost perfect machines, without any hidden vice, manufacturing defect or problem to discover. The brand – in this case, Seat – knows that it must adjust the price of the product to the maximum to make it competitive in a market full of novelties, something that, thanks to fully amortized design and pre-production costs, it can afford with relative ease.If we go a little further, it is possible to find cars in an even more attractive situation for the buyer, thanks to run out cars or those in the process of being replaced by a new generation of the model or a completely new model. All manufacturers know that the value of their cars depreciates rapidly when they officially present their successor, as buyers quickly lose interest in the discontinued model in favor of the new model. It is precisely at this point, prior to the presentation of the new generation or model of a particular vehicle, that manufacturers offer end-of-production versions packed with equipment, well tested and proven by thousands of cars in circulation, at a very attractive price. Without going any further, this would be the case of the current Alfa Romeo Giulia and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, two aspirational cars at the end of their commercial life that offer prices significantly below their BMW or Porsche rivals with equivalent power, but with equal or even superior equipment.Evidently, this type of vehicle, at the end of its commercial life, also presents some drawbacks. The first is that these outgoing or end-of-production models do not have the latest generation gadgets and applications, and this can be a problem for the more technological buyer profiles. The other major drawback that these cars at the end of their commercial life suffer from is their design, with an image that is no longer innovative or groundbreaking, which can also be a drawback for buyers who are more sensitive to this aspect.However, cars at the end of their commercial life or run out are a good option for buyers looking for a well-equipped vehicle, at a competitive price, and with the certainty of being a consolidated and proven model, and who want to avoid the possible teething problems that the first units manufactured by any major automotive company have.

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Honda is suffering the worst crisis in its history, after the automotive division registered losses exceeding 4.2 billion euros during the Japanese fiscal year, which ends on March 31st each year. This is the first time in the Japanese brand's 70-year history that a fiscal year has closed with financial losses, causing a real earthquake that has shaken the foundations of the Nipponese brand. In fact, one of the first measures taken by the company's management has been to rethink the brand's industrial roadmap, oriented towards a total electrification of its range.The poor results of a historically profitable and sound brand like Honda's automotive division (which includes the high-performance subsidiary Acura) are mainly due to the involution of the North American market because of the trade tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and the transition process towards electric cars, which is not progressing at the pace foreseen by the brand.Let's take it step by step, though. To grasp the magnitude of the tragedy, one must first understand that Honda is a brand with a large commercial presence in the United States, a country where it also has several production plants such as those in the state of Ohio, where the Honda CR-V is manufactured, or the factories in Lincoln and Greenwood, in the states of Indiana and Alabama respectively, where Honda Civics and various Acura models for the North American market are produced. However, since 2010 Honda has also opened new plants in Mexico and Canada, taking advantage of the free trade agreements between the countries of North America, where the HR-V, the brand's best-selling car worldwide, is manufactured. The new trade tariffs approved by the Trump administration have made models manufactured in Canada or Mexico no longer competitive in the North American market, with a consequent drop in sales. As Honda manufactures some of its best-selling models in Mexico or Canada, its product has become exponentially more expensive due to trade tariffs, causing the price of cars to become uncompetitive in the United States market. To try to compensate for the increase in the final price of its product, Honda has had to cut the commercial margin for each unit sold of the Honda and Acura divisions, and if to this factor we add that sales have not grown in volume, the reason for the brand's crisis is perfectly understood. And it is that during the year 2025 Honda sold a total of 3,312,000 cars, 10% less than the previous year. Fewer cars sold, and with a smaller margin: the key to the brand's financial storms.A rather uninspiring electricity demand

The second factor that has contributed to Honda's poor economic result has been the low demand for electric vehicles worldwide and the sizing and investments that the brand had made since the launch of the Honda e, a magnificent electric car that we were able to test six years ago and that was supposed to be the spearhead of the Japanese brand's electric strategy. In reality, however, the Honda e and the rest of the brand's electric models have turned out to be a great commercial failure for the Japanese brand.

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Chinese manufacturer BYD sold 2.26 million electric cars during 2025, far surpassing the 1.66 million electric cars that Tesla sold during the last twelve months across five continents.

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Throughout 2025, a total of 118,562 Chinese cars were registered in Spain, a figure that represents a market share of 10.32% of a total that reaches 1,148,650 passenger cars registered in the same period.

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Porsche is the crown jewel of the Volkswagen Group. The brand, founded in Stuttgart by Ferdinand Porsche, has historically been the most profitable and highest-earning within the Volkswagen Group, especially since 2000, with the introduction of models like the Cayenne and Cayman, cars that went beyond the nine, the flagship product of the German brand.

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2025 was a year of growth and consolidation for the automotive industry in Spain, with 1,148,650 passenger cars registered between January and December, representing a 12.9% increase over the previous year. In Catalonia, a total of 136,142 new vehicles were registered, an 11.8% increase compared to 2024 figures, while in the Balearic Islands, 25,647 new passenger cars were registered, a 13.8% increase. However, the Valencian Community saw the most significant growth nationwide, with 128,321 vehicles registered (almost as many as in Catalonia) and a 36.1% increase compared to 2024 figures. The Valencian data should be considered within the exceptional context of the impact of women's economic growth and the increased demand for vehicles in the south and other areas of the Valencian Community.

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The change of course in European guidelines on combustion engine vehicles from 2035 onwards and that They eliminate the ban on diesel and gasoline vehicles. It has generated quite a few doubts about what new cars Europeans will be able to buy in a horizon of just ten years.

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Diesel vehicle registrations have bottomed out in 2025, with a market share of just 5.2% in Spain during the first six months of the year. Diesel engines have practically disappeared from the market, due to a drop in supply—the main car manufacturers are opting for conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or mild hybrid engines as an alternative to diesel engines—and almost nonexistent demand.

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Tesla is unable to recover. The American brand continues its free fall in Europe after seeing its sales fall by 52.6% in April compared to the same month in 2024: it sold only 5,475 cars in the Old Continent, compared to 11,540 twelve months earlier. The drama for the brand is enormous if we consider that the Model Y led the list of best-selling cars worldwide in 2023 and 2024, ahead of the Toyota Corolla and Toyota Rav4, which are not pure electric like Tesla.

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It's no secret that the automotive sector is still highly masculinized and pays little attention to gender inequalities. new Citroën study In the United Kingdom, it goes further and highlights the difficulties and hostility that many women encounter when buying a new car.

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According to data fromAnfaco, the Spanish automotive industry association, three out of every five plug-in hybrid cars registered between January and May 2025 in Spain are from Chinese brands. This surprising leadership is based on the commercial strength of models such as the BYD Seal U DM-i, with almost 4,000 units registered during the first months of the year, the also Chinese MG HS, with 1,900 units delivered, and the plug-in hybrid version of the Jaecoo 7, with 1. No European car can keep up with the commercial pace of the Chinese. Only the Toyota C-HR has been able to face the challenge posed by Chinese manufacturers.

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Since before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, new car sales and registrations in Spain had not surpassed 100,000 units. This year, the total stands at 112,820 cars, 18.6% more than the previous year and representing a cumulative annual increase of 14% compared to sales figures for 2025.

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Spain is one of the European Union states with the lowest percentage of electric car registrations, around 5% of the total for several years now. To encourage electric vehicle registrations, the Spanish government has developed the Moves program, a plan of aid and incentives for electric car buyers. This program has caused headaches for many users and results in a waiting period of around a year and a half between the purchase of the vehicle and the receipt of aid and subsidies.

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The offensive of Chinese brands in our market is unstoppable. About a year ago, on February 22, 2024, the Omoda brand, a Chinese manufacturer that launched its Omoda 5, was officially launched. It was a really important car for Catalonia because it began to be manufactured at the Nissan plant in Barcelona., along with others such as the vehicles of the reborn Ebro brand or the Jaecoo 7, which hit the market a little later (on September 17).

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