Italy October 2016: Rental sales spruce market up 10%

Not dead: now a single-model brand, Lancia is up 30% at home in October. 

* NOW UPDATED with the the Top 40 brands and Top 180 models – click on title to see *

The September 2016 post has now been updated with the Top 180 models

The Italian new car market is up 10% year-on-year in October to 146.632 registrations, bringing the year-to-date tally up 17% to 1.553.394, some 220.000 units ahead of the result reached during the same period last year. Local association UNRAE confirmed its forecast of 1.850.000 sales for the full year 2016, which would be the best year in Italy since 2010. For 2017, UNRAE predicts a 5.4% growth to 1.945.000 deliveries. Dampening the enthusiasm this month is the paltry performance of private sales down 4% to 88.491 and 59.6% share vs. 68.1% a year ago… Sales to rental companies are pushing the market forward with a staggering 44.6% gain to 26.203, with short-term rentals taking off at +123% and long-term up 30%. Business sales are up 34.6% to 33.712, spruced up by government incentives.

Thanks to the Q30 and QX30 (pictured), Infiniti sales are up 616% in Italy this month.

Market leader Fiat gains slightly less ground than the market at +7% to 29.582 units and 20.2% share vs. 21.2% year-to-date, followed by Volkswagen (+20%) and Ford (+11%). In fact, the Top 7 best-selling brands are identical to September and to the year-to-date order with Renault (+6%), Opel (+8%), Peugeot (+14%) and Toyota (+15%) in tow. Mercedes (+14%), BMW (+20%) and Lancia (+30%) round up the Top 10 and all outpace the market. Further down, notice Hyundai (+21%), Subaru (+24%), Skoda (+31%), Alfa Romeo (+32%), Jeep (+33%), Honda (+59%), Maserati (+115%), Jaguar (+177%) and Infiniti (+616%) all posting impressive results.

Old and new: the Abarth 124 

Over in the models ranking, the Fiat Panda continues its decline at -6% but remains frankly in the lead at 7.9% share, more than double the sales of the #2, the Lancia Ypsilon prepped up by a recent facelift at +31% to 5.448 sales and 3.7% share. The Fiat 500L more than ever benefits from the strength of rental sales in Italy with deliveries up 49% year-on-year to 3.823 and cementing its third position YTD. The Ford Fiesta (+21%), VW Golf (+17%) and Fiat 500 (+47%) also shine inside the Top 10 while outside, the Jeep Renegade (+48%), Peugeot 208 (+20%), Nissan Qashqai (+23%) and Hyundai Tucson (+42%) impress. Boosted by new models, the VW Tiguan (+264%), Opel Astra (+156%), BMW X1 (+190%) and Toyota RAV4 (+152%) take off.

The Suzuki Ignis has landed in Europe – first in Italy.

No less than five new nameplates make their first appearance inside the Italian Top 180 this month. They are led by the Audi Q2 landing directly at 110 sales with almost a quarter of a thousand sales for its first month in market. Below is the Abarth 124 arriving at #139, the Hyundai Ioniq at #147, the Volvo V90 at #175 and the Suzuki Ignis at #180, marking the first European country to allow Suzuki’s latest entrant into its sales charts.

Previous month: Italy September 2016: Fiat 500L and VW Polo shine in market up 17%

One year ago: Italy October 2015: Hyundai Tucson and Renault Kadjar shoot up

Full October 2016 Top 40 brands and Top 180 models below.