Italy November 2016: Fiat Tipo back up to 4th place

Fiat Tipo

* NOW UPDATED with the Top 45 best-selling brands and Top 180 models – click on title to see *

The Italian new car market slows down its growth in November at +8.2% year-on-year to 145.835 registrations, bringing the year-to-date tally up 16.5% to 1.699.944 units. However this gain is almost entirely the work of a 28% increase in company sales reaching 21.5% share (+3.2 point) and in line with a year-to-date 26% increase to 18.1% share. This is the result of anticipation of purchases to take advantage to the Superammortamento tax benefit due to end in 2017. Private sales are up 5.2% and 13.3% year-to-date resulting in a declining 61.6% market share (-1.6 points) while rental sales are up just 2.4% (short-term rentals down 20% but long-term up 11.3%) vs. a 16.8% increase year-to-date. All-in-all, UNRAE predicts a Full Year 2016 tally of 1.830.000 (+16.1%) and 2017 up just 6% to 1.945.000 units.

First Top 10 ranking for Hyundai in 2016.

Market leader Fiat follows the market at +8% to 20.7% share, close to its 21.1% YTD level. Volkswagen (+11%) remains in 2nd place while Renault (+16%) overtakes Ford (-0.2%) to take third spot. All the following manufacturers outperform the market inside the Top 10: Peugeot (+13%), Toyota (+16%), Audi (+25%), Mercedes (+15%) and Hyundai (+25%) breaking into the Top 10 brands for the first time in 2016. Further down, notice Jeep (+28%), Alfa Romeo (+36%), Seat (+24%), Skoda (+20%) and Honda (+57%) with Jaguar (+183%), Maserati (+160%) and Infiniti (+450%) literally taking off.

The Giulia pushes Alfa Romeo up 36%.

Model-wise, the Fiat Panda soars 33% to 13.197 deliveries, over three times its closest follower the Lancia Ypsilon at 4.379 (+2%). The Renault Clio (+9%) leaps onto the podium just as the Fiat 500L (-8%) falls flat at #10. But the big surprise in the Top 10 is the Fiat Tipo back up 10 spots on October to a splendid 4th place with 3.545 sales. The station wagon variant has now shifted into gear: it is the best-seller in its segment for the first time this month with 1.210 sales, ahead of YTD leader the Audi A4 (1.010), the VW Passat (967) and Peugeot 308 (749).

Sales by channel (Privati=Private sales, Noleggio=Rental sales, Società=Company sales) 

Notice also the Jeep Renegade up 44% to #9 but both the Fiat 500X (-25%) and Punto (-36%) struggling. Further down, a slew of recently relaunched SUVs are posting spectacular scores: the VW Tiguan is up 224% to #19, the Hyundai Tucson up 47% to #20, the BMW X1 up 62% to #33 and the Peugeot 3008 up 321% to #36. Among passenger cars, the Mercedes A-Class is up 36% to #26, the Hyundai i10 up 50% to #28, the Audi A4 up 73% to #39, the Opel Astra up 35% to #44 and the Kia Rio up 39% to #47. The Alfa Romeo Giulia misses out on a Top 50 ranking for a mere 58 sales.

Previous month: Italy October 2016: Rental sales spruce market up 10%

One year ago: Italy November 2015: Fiat 500X on podium

Full November 2016 Top 45 brands and Top 180 models below.