Italy Full Year 2015: Panda leads, Fiat 500X & Jeep Renegade superstars

The Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade are remodelling the Italian car landscape. Picture motorbox.com

* Now updated with the Top 45 All-brands and Top 200 models *

* Check out 60 years worth of Italian Historical Archives here *

* The December 2015 article has also been updated with the Top 180 models *

At last a frank improvement for new car sales in Italy for 2015: up 16% or 215.000 units to 1.574.872 registrations, the highest annual volume since 2011 (1.757.649). The Italian market is however still far from getting back to its average level of the last couple of decades, with 2015 sales equivalent to the level it reached back in 1984, but still lagging behind the 1993-1996 crisis years (see 37 year-data set below). A couple of elements confirm this is a true recovery year for Italy – unlike a rather artificial spike in 2014: Private sales grow faster than the market at +18% to 1.009.537 registrations, improving their market share from 62.4% to 63.7%, while rental sales are also up 18% to 311.352 units or 19.8% share (12.1% for lease and 7.6% for short-term rentals) and Company sales lag behind at +5% to 262.729 units. As a result, local manufacturers association UNRAE predicts another dynamic year in 2016 at +7% to 1.68m units.

Italy 1978-2015 – Annual sales:

Italy 2015 – Monthly sales detail by channel:

Source: UNRAE

Fiat retains its throne at home, evolving similarly to the market at +17% to reach 20.9% share and 329.177 sales. Volkswagen is up just 8% to lose share to 7.6% and is one of only five manufacturers in the Top 40 to not post double-digit year-on-year gains in 2015, a testimony to the vigorous recovery the Italian new car market is currently experiencing. The other culprits are Lancia (+2%), Alfa Romeo (+8%), DS (+3%) and Chevrolet (-95%). The Top 7 best-selling brands are unchanged on 2014 with Ford (+19%) rounding up the podium followed by Renault (+16%), Opel (+18%), Peugeot (+18%) and Toyota (+8%). Nissan (+18%) is up 3 spots to #8, with other carmakers lodging impressive gains including Land Rover (+23%), Mitsubishi (+31%), Mazda (+36%), Smart (+52%), SsangYong (+61%), Lexus (+64%), Jaguar (+66%), Infiniti (+129%) and Jeep (+164%) thanks to the Renegade (see further down).

The Fiat Panda holds onto its crown at home.

The Fiat Panda is the most popular nameplate in Italy for the 4th consecutive year with sales up a very impressive 21% to 126.306 and 8% share, the nameplate’s highest annual volume since 2010. The Panda outsells all carmakers bar Fiat in 2015. Thanks to heavy discounts, the Fiat Punto remains 2nd and manages to limit the damage to just -1% and a lowest-ever 3.6% share at 56.449 sales, just above the Lancia Ypsilon up 9% to 55.326 units and the Fiat 500L down 3% to 49.918. The Renault Clio is once again the best-selling foreigner in Italy: it gains one spot to break into the annual Top 5 for the first time in 12 years – since 2003. It distances the Ford Fiesta (+9%), VW Golf (+5%) and VW Polo (+17%) while the Fiat 500 is down 6% to 6th place.

First annual Top 5 ranking in 12 years for the Renault Clio in Italy.

The main event in the 2015 Italian models ranking is the thunderous landing of the Fiat 500X directly in 10th position, a ranking that should improve vastly in 2016 given the crossover broke onto the podium both in November and December. Its “twin” the Jeep Renegade shoots up to a stunning #17, by far the best-ever ranking achieved by a Jeep in Italy. The Renegade’s success was however tamed by the arrival of the 500X: it never matched the #10 spot hit back in December 2014, with a 2015 best of #13 in November.

The Opel Mokka is inside the Top 15 in 2015. 

The SUV fever has continued to spread all across Italy, with the Opel Mokka up 36% to #15, the Renault Captur up 29% to #16, Kia Sportage up 26% to #25 and Ford Ecosport up 4-fold to #33 – even hitting a record #23 in November and making Italy the only market in Europe where Ford’s made-in-India SUV isn’t considered a flop. Notice also the Opel Corsa up 28%, Peugeot 308 up 93%, Hyundai i20 up 125%, Mini up 107% and the BMW 2 Series Tourer up to a class-leading #42 for its first full year in market. The Suzuki Vitara (#76) is the most popular all-new entrant for 2015, followed closely by the Hyundai Tucson (#78), Opel Karl (#81) and Land Rover Discovery Sport (#84) while the Renault Kadjar also manages to crack the 2015 Top 100 at #94.

Previous post: Italy December 2015: Fiat 500X stays on podium, Tucson & Kadjar up

Previous year: Italy Full Year 2014: Podium 100% Fiat for 2nd time in 15 years

Two years ago: Italy Full Year 2013: Top 5 all-Italian for the first time in 30 years

Full Year 2015 Top 45 All-brands and Top 200 models below.