Italy May 2014: Fiat 500L #2 again, now 3rd most successful nameplate in last decade – Punto down to #6!

Fiat 500L

* See the Top 50 best-selling models and Top 44 brands by clicking on the title! *

New car sales in Italy are back into negative in May at -4% to 132,555 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 633,065 units, still up 3% on 2013. Below the Fiat Panda faithful to its pole postion at 10,273 sales and 7.7% share, there is a LOT of significant events in the Top 6. Firstly the Fiat 500L manages a third consecutive month in 2nd place, making it only the third nameplate to have ranked #2 at least 3 times in the past decade along with the Fiat Panda and Punto. Nameplates managing a single #2 ranking over that period are the Toyota Yaris in December 2007, the Fiat 500 in September 2008 and the Ford Fiesta in March 2010.

The good times are over for the Fiat Punto (1993 model pictured)

If we go back a further two years up to June 2002 when BSCB started following monthly rankings in Italy, only the Fiat Seicento delivers a better score than the Fiat 500L, ranking #2 five times: in January, February, April, May and August 2003. The Toyota Yaris was in 2nd place twice in June 2003 and December 2007 as was the Ford Fiesta in March 2003 and March 2010 while the Ford Focus (June 2002), Opel Corsa (December 2002) and Fiat 500 (September 2008) only did it once.

Even the Renault Clio is above the Fiat Punto this month…

The Lancia Ypsilon is up two spots on April to rank third for the 7th time in the past 12 months with 5,175 sales and 3.9%. Nothing exceptional here, it outsells the Fiat Punto for the first time in the Ypsilon’s 18 year-history! But wait there’s more: at #5 with 4,402 units and 3.3%, the Renault Clio also overcomes the Punto this month, of course for the first time since the two models started selling alongside each other in November 1993. The Punto continues its descent into hell indeed: after dropping below 4% share for the very first time in March (3.7%) and to 4th place again for the first time and a new low of 3.6% share last month, it now sinks to a new lowest-ever 3.2% share…

First Italian Top 20 ranking for the Opel Mokka this month.

Reversely, a good list of models do extremely well this month: the Peugeot 2008 is back up 6 spots on April to #15, the Ford C-Max up 4 to #16, Dacia Duster up 10 to #17, the Opel Mokka breaks into the Italian Top 20 for the first time at #18, the Renault Mégane is up an impressive 32 ranks to #30 vs #56 year-to-date, the Renault Scénic up a further 7 to #35, the BMW X1 up 23 to #37 and the Peugeot 3008 holding itself inside the Top 50 at #47.

Previous post: Italy April 2014: Now with Top 170 best-selling models

Previous month: Italy April 2014: Fiat 500L confirms #2 spot, passes Punto year-to-date

One year ago: Italy May 2013: Top 5 All-Italian for the first time in 16 years

Full May 2014 Top 50 models and Top 44 brands Ranking Tables below.