Italy October 2019: Volkswagen above 10% share for the first time this decade

The T-Cross is Volkswagen’s best-seller in Italy for the 2nd month running.

New car sales in Italy gain 6.6% year-on-year in October to 157.984 units, yet this isn’t enough to tilt the YTD volume back into positive: -1.1% to 1.632.333. Company sales, up 22.9% to 32.499 and 20.6% share vs. 17.9% a year ago, and rental sales, up 19% to 29.598 and 18.7% share vs. 16.8% (short-term down -9.7% but long-term leases up 27.5%) are solely responsible for the Italian market growth this month just as private sales skid down -1% to 95.887 and 60.7% share vs. 65.4% in September 2018. The year-to-date situation is different: private sales swim upstream at +1.9% to 936.961 and 57.4% share vs. 55.7% over the same period in 2018, rental sales are up 2.4% to 398.839 and 24.4% share vs. 23.6% (short-term up 3.8% to 129.513, long-term leases up 2.5% to 236.420) but company sales freefall -13.2% to 295.533 and 18.2% vs. 20.7%. Petrol October deliveries shoot up 17.6% to 72.561 and 45.9% vs. 41.7% in Sept 2018 whereas diesel sales drop -13.3% to 56.623 and 35.8% vs. 44.1%. GPL is up 1.8% to 10.763, Hybrids up 42.1% to 12.523 and EVs up 59.4% to 939. Year-to-date, Petrol is up 26.3% to 715.152 and 43.8% vs. 34.3%, Diesel down -23.2% to 664.915 and 40.7% vs. 52.4%, GPL up 9.8% to 117.591, Hybrids up 29.4% to 94.887 and EV up 107.6% to 8.651.

Fiat (-4.7%) is the only Top 12 brand in decline with Opel (-26%), however the Italian powerhouse does not break any low share records this month, instead placing 4th weakest ever at 13.7% below last July (13.1%), June (13.5%) and September (13.6%). On the other hand Volkswagen (+37.3%) spectacularly crosses the symboled 10% share mark for the first time this decade at 10.8% in 2nd place overall. Ford (+1.8%), Peugeot (+9.4%) and Toyota (+6.2%) round out the Top 5 ahead of Renault (+11.5%) and Citroen (+9.6%) all very solid. Audi (+25.1%) scores the largest gain in the Top 10 but this is due to particularly weak post-WLTP year-ago volumes. Further down, notice Porsche (+452.5%), DS (+160%), Lexus (+113.3%), Seat (+61.8%), Mazda (+39.8%), Dacia (+33.9%), Suzuki (+11.4%) and Kia (+10.4%) while Tesla (+291.1%) although up spectacularly year-on-year, is down -82.1% on September.

Model-wise, the Fiat Panda (-12.8%) and Lancia Ypsilon (+8.3%) retain control of the charts – as they do YTD – with 7% and 3.1% share respectively, the only two nameplates above 2.5%. The Toyota Yaris (+0.4%) climbs onto the Italian podium for the first time since October 2018, distancing the Fiat 500X (+37.7%) and Citroen C3 (+4.7%). The VW T-Cross, #3 last month, is down to a still very impressive 6th place, making it Volkswagen’s best-seller in Italy for the second month running just above the T-Roc (+31.8%) celebrating 10 consecutive Top 10 finishes. The Dacia Duster (+83%) and Renault Captur (+75.3%) deliver the largest year-on-year gains in the Top 10 and Top 25. Further down, notice the Renault Twingo (+149.3%), Audi Q3 (+128.4%), Opel Crossland X (+79.6%), Ford Ka+ (+78.5%), Renault Kadjar (+55.6%), Toyota Aygo (+55%) and Opel Corsa (+45.5%) just as the Volvo XC40 breaks its Italian ranking record for the second month in a row at #34.

Previous month: Italy September 2019: VW hits highest share this decade (9.9%), places T-Cross #3 in market up 12.9%

One year ago: Fiat Panda and Lancia Ypsilon soften fall, market down -8%

Full October 2019 Top 45 brands and Top 50 models below.