Is the future of cars Chinese? Online interest in Spain confirms it.

The Spanish automotive market is undergoing a rapid transformation, with a clear winner in the battle for consumer attention: Chinese manufacturers.

A study by GfK DAM, the official digital consumption indicator in Spain, reveals that visits to Chinese car brand websites have increased by 305% compared to last year. This boom contrasts sharply with the growth in other countries, especially European ones.

Browsing data, which reflects the growing interest in electric and hybrid cars, shows that 21% of the Spanish internet population, equivalent to 8.5 million people, visit automotive brand websites.

Overall, online searches in the sector have increased by 11% in the last year, but it is the Chinese segment that is overwhelmingly leading this expansion.

The report highlights the enormous difference in audience growth across different origins. While Chinese brands recorded the aforementioned 305% increase, Korean brands grew by 22%, Japanese by 9%, and European brands lagged behind with a modest 6% increase. The gap is even greater compared to American brands, which not only failed to grow but also lost 4% of users on their digital platforms.

This emergence is largely due to the progress of Asian manufacturers specializing in electric and hybrid vehicles. Brands such as BYD are already ranked 14th in the Top Automotive Brands in Spain, attracting more than 427,000 unique users per month and nearly 20,000 daily visitors, consolidating their position as a leader in this category. Closely followed by MG Motors (283,000 monthly users), Omoda (more than 164,000 unique users), and EBRO (more than 156,000 visitors), which have already consolidated their position in the ranking at positions 18, 22, and 24 respectively.

Despite the overwhelming entry of Chinese brands, the overall ranking of the 20 most visited brands in Spain (as of April 2025) is still led by traditional manufacturers. SEAT surpassed one million unique visitors in April, while Nissan and Hyundai are approaching that figure, maintaining their strong digital presence.

David Sánchez, director of GfK Media, highlights the transformation of the vehicle purchasing process: "We are experiencing a key moment in the automotive sector, in which the Internet has ceased to be a showcase or information medium and has become the central axis of the purchasing process."

This new digital dynamic, where online interaction is crucial, is making a difference in the commercial success of brands, and it is here that Chinese manufacturers are demonstrating a remarkable ability to capture the interest of Spanish consumers.