While the discussion of product variety has advanced into assessing the impacts of complexity induced into the manufacturing system, little is known how the management of this variety differs between emerging and established markets. This dissertation aims to address this gap by comparing the product variety offered in the Brazilian and European automotive industries, as well as the respective strategies used by the vehicle manufacturers to mitigate the negative effects of product variety. The exploratory analysis uses secondary data collected in the literature and in automotive manufacturers and primary data collected in interviews with managers of these manufacturers. The overall sample of vehicles considered in the analysis represent 62% and 95% of the European and Brazilian markets, respectively. In spite of the similarities that are present in both markets, the research results point to significant differences in the variety offered in both markets, as well as in the mitigation strategies adopted, what gives us material to believe that the Brazilian automotive reality can not be considered as a continuation of the European reality, deserving specific studies for Brazil.