Italy March 2012: Fiat Panda #1 for third month in a row UPDATED

Fiat Panda

* NOW UPDATED with actuals for the Top 50 best-selling models! Click on title to see *

The situation is getting worse for new car sales in Italy, down 28% year-on-year in March at 138,671 registrations, bringing the 2012 year-to-date total to 409,086 units, down 21% and already over 100,000 sales below 2011’s total at that time. Problem is, the first trimester is traditionally the strongest period of the year for Italy, accounting for around 30% of the year’s total, and UNRAE now tables on 1,370,000 registrations in the country over the Full Year 2012 in the absence of any scrappage scheme. This would be the worst figure in at least 35 years!

Thanks to the new generation now in full gear, the Fiat Panda is the best-selling model in the country for the third month in a row with 10,293 sales and 7.4%, another very frank victory (2.3 percentage points) over its big sister the Fiat Punto at 7,132 units and 5.1% – the Punto’s second worst market share ever behind 4.7% in September 2008. After a 2 month-absence, the Ford Fiesta is back on the podium with 5,071 sales and 3.5% ahead of the VW Golf up 2 spots to #4.

The Toyota Yaris stays solid at #7 thanks to the new model while the Fiat 500 is up from last month’s disastrous 11th place but at #8 it’s still not shining… Further down, the Opel Meriva is up 17 spots to #17, the Lancia Musa is up 7 to #19, the Mercedes B-Class is up to #27 and the Audi Q3 breaks into the Top 50 for the first time at #43. Notice also the VW Up! selling 706 units for an estimated 60th place.

Previous month: Italy February 2012: Fiat Panda beats down Fiat Punto

One year ago: Italy March 2011: Fiat Punto and Panda up vs. February

Full March 2012 Top 50 Ranking Table below.