Italy January 2016: Fiat 500 back on podium, Punto out of Top 10

About to be scrapped: never before had the Punto ranked outside the Top 10 at home. 

* Now updated with the Top 180 models and Top 42 All-brands *

A great start of the year for the Italian new car market, up 17% year-on-year to 156.163 registrations, mainly pulled by extensive discounts across the industry that have boosted private sales up 24% to 66% share vs. 63% a year ago. Sales to short-term rentals are also up an equally impressive 29%, in line with a trend we are starting to see spread across Europe. Both Fiat and Volkswagen outpace the market at +20% each to 21% and 7.6% share respectively, and all carmakers in the Top 10 except Toyota posts double-digit gains: Citroen leads them all with a 33% surge, followed by Renault (+23%), Peugeot (+22%) and Ford (+17%). Audi is up 15% at an excellent 8th spot. Further down, notice Kia (+28%), Jeep (+48%), Suzuki (+58%), Mazda (+125%), Ssangyong (+133%) and Jaguar (+558%) all delivering spectacular improvements.

The Ypsilon is the last Lancia standing and just received a facelift. 

The Fiat Panda sails off to even higher heights in the models ranking with sales up a whopping 42% to 13.367 vs. 5.558 for the #2, the Lancia Ypsilon (+12%). The Fiat 500 finally comes back onto its home podium thanks to its facelift with sales up 6% while the Fiat 500X remains at an outstanding level in 4th place, with the Renault Clio best-selling foreigner once again at #5. Both the VW Golf and Polo gain 32% at #7 and #8, and the Jeep Renegade (+65%) is only 14 units off breaking into the Top 10 for the 2nd time ever after November 2013.

Audi Q3 sales are nearly double their level of a year ago in Italy. 

But the main event this month in Italy is the Fiat Punto continuing on its slow and painful death row: for the first time since the legendary nameplate launched in Italy in September 1993, the Punto falls outside its home Top 10 at #12 with just 3.152 sales and 2% share, down a devastating 39% on a year ago. The Hyundai Tucson is shaping up to become one of the very top best-selling SUVs in Italy, breaking into the Top 20 only a few months after its launch at 1.954 sales. The Citroen C3 is up 52% at #21, the Peugeot 308 up 31% to #22, the Audi A3 up 28% to #25, the Fiat Tipo up a further 14 ranks on December to #31, Audi Q3 up 92% to #32 and the Citroen C4 Cactus up 31 spots on last month to #45.

Previous post: Italy Full Year 2015: Fiat Panda leads, 500X and Jeep Renegade superstars

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

One year ago: Italy January 2015: Fiat 500X lands at #23

Full January 2016 Top 180 models and Top 42 All-brands below.