Turkey March 2019: Fiat Egea (+63.7%) ignores surrounding gloom (-35.5%) to break share record at 13%

The Fiat Egea accounts for 1 in 8 new vehicles registered in Turkey in March.

New car sales in Turkey dive down -35.5% in March to 49.221 units including light commercials, and although this is a paltry result, in the current atrocious context it actually is the smallest year-on-year decline since May 2018 (-15%). Indeed, ever since then the Turkish market has been absolutely annihilated: -39% in June, -53% in August, -75% in September, -77% in October, -42% in November, -43% in December, -59% in January and -47% in February… As a result the year-to-date tally is now down -44.2% to 88.469 sales. Once again best-selling brand Fiat (-3.1%) resists much better than the market, posting the smallest year-on-year drop – and only single-digit one – in the Top 20 and edging past Renault (-21.7%) at 16.6% share vs. 16%. Ford (-30.9%) rounds up a podium entirely outperforming the market. Below, Peugeot (-11.8%) and Jeep (-11.8%) are the only two carmakers in the Top 21 to lose less than 20% vs. March 2018. In contrast, Citroen (-66.3%), Seat (-58%), Hyundai (-54.7%), Skoda (-51.4%), Honda (-50.9%), Mercedes (-48.2%), Dacia (-47.6%), Volkswagen (-46.7%), Audi (-46.4%) and BMW (-45.1%) all implode. Aston Martin (+200%), Alfa Romeo (+146.2%), Mini (+51.7%) and Smart (+50%) are the only carmakers in the entire market to register a year-on-year uptick.

Over in the models ranking, the Fiat Egea (+63.7%) is completely oblivious to the dismal context the Turkish market finds itself in, posting the largest and one of only 3 gains in the Top 20 to break its market share record for the third time in the past 4 months at 13% after 10.6% in February and 10.4% in December. The Renault Megane (-6.4%) holds itself very well in 2nd place, but it’s the Renault Clio (-14.4%) that still holds the #2 spot YTD. The Toyota Corolla (-36.9%) and Ford Transit/Tourneo Courier (-40.2%) freefall but round up the Top 5. The other two gainers in the Top 20 are the Peugeot 3008 (+54.3%) up 15 spots on February to #11 and the Ford Transit/Tourneo Custom (+27%). In the remainder of the Top 50, the lonely gainers are the Peugeot Partner (+84.5%), Kia Sportage (+61.3%), Peugeot 2008 (+53.6%), VW Tiguan (+36.3%), Toyota C-HR (+34.1%), Audi A4 (+28.5%), Volvo V40 (+25%), Opel Corsa (+13.8%) and Audi A6 (+3.8%). The Hyundai Kona (#42) and VW T-Roc (#51) top new launches.

Previous month: Turkey February 2019: Fiat Egea (+39.2%) hits record share in market down 47.1%

One year ago: Turkey March 2018: Fiat Egea back on top in market up 3.4%

Full March 2019 Top 40 All-brands and Top 213 All-models below.