Italy October 2021: Fiat Panda hits highest share in 32 years, Toyota Yaris Cross up to #15, market down -35.7%

The Fiat Panda holds 11% of the Italian market in October.

The microchip crisis and lack of significant and generalised incentives means the Italian new car market is accelerating its fall in October to -35.7% at 101.015 units, compared with -33.1% in September and -26.9% in August. The year-to-date volume is now up 12.7% to 1.266.629 but down -22% on the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. As a result we have revised our 2021 forecast for Italy from 1.52m down to 1.46m units (+5.8%). In October, private sales fall -37% year-on-year to 67.667 and 66% share vs. 67.7% a year ago, self-registrations implode -48.9% to 8.930, long term leases edge down -17.5% to 18.290 and 17.8% share vs. 14% in October 2020, short term rentals sink -61.3% to just 1.404 units and company sales are down -20.7% to 6.294. Year-to-date, private sales gain 11.6% to 801.571 and 62.7% share vs. 63.5% over the same period in 2020, self-registrations are up 0.3% to 124.226 and 9.7% share vs. 10.9% a year ago, long term leases surge 29.3% to 222.166 and 17.4% share vs. 15.2% last year, short-term rentals edge up 1.9% to 61.071 and 4.8% share vs. 5.3% and company sales soar 20.9% to 70.164 and 5.5% share vs. 5.1%.

In terms of alimentation, this month petrol sales almost halve their October 2020 volume at -47% to 26.455 and 25.8% share vs. 31.4% a year ago, diesel fares even worse at -62.4% to 18.449 and 18% share vs. 30.9% last year while GPL drops -31.3% to 7.942. In complete contrast, HEV is now the most popular alimentation in Italy at -7.8% to 36.069 units and 35.2% share vs. 24.7% a year ago, that includes 27.643 mild hybrids (-9%). Meanwhile PHEV sales are up 39.9% to 5.123 and 5% vs. 2.3% and BEV registration roar up 146% to 7.134 and 7% share vs. 1.8% a year ago. Year-to-date, petrol is down -12.2% to 385.864 and 30.2% share vs. 38.8% over the same period in 2020, diesel falls -24.3% to 294.795 and 23% share vs. 34.4%, GPL is up 19.8% to 90.753 and 7.1% share vs. 6.7%, HEV surges 122.6% to 367.453 and 28.7% share vs. 14.6% including 282.822 mild hybrids (+144.1%), PHEV is up 260.7% to 58.092 and 4.5% share vs. 1.4% last year and BEV is up 165.8% to 54.376 and 4.3% share vs. 1.8% in 2020.

The Toyota Yaris Cross is up to #15 this month.

Fiat (-32.5%) manages to lose a little less ground than its home market, resulting in a relatively strong 16.9% share vs. 15.4% so far this year. It’s not the case for Volkswagen (-40%) dropping to 7.6% share vs. 8.7% YTD. Toyota (-30.2%) climbs three spots on September to land on the third step of the podium for the third time this year after May and July. Renault (-37.1%) stays at #4 but loses share year-on-year. After scoring a first ever podium finish in September, Dacia (-6.6%) sports the only single-digit drop in the Top 7, distancing freefalling Ford (-56.2%) and Peugeot (-48.7%). At #8 vs. #14 year-to-date, Hyundai (+7.3%) is the only gainer in the Top 10 and even Top 20, with sister brand Kia (-5.9%) also in great shape at #9 vs. #16 so far this year. All remaining Top 22 carmakers bar Mazda (-6.9%) drop by at least -26% this month. Among smaller brands, DR Motor (+74.1%), Cupra (+1088.5%), Tesla (+39.1%), Ferrari (+25%), Great Wall (+183.3%) and Aston Martin (+150%) post the only additional gains in market.

Model-wise, the Fiat Panda (-26.3%) hits its highest market share for this third generation of the nameplate at 11%, beating its previous best of 10.9% in April 2020. The second generation Panda never made it to double-digit shares so this is the Panda nameplate’s highest monthly share since at least 1989 when the first generation Panda ended the year with 9.5% of the market. Note 81% of the Panda volume this month comes from the mild hybrid variant. The Fiat 500 (-8.1%) returns to the 2nd place it holds year-to-date, with 65% of its sales for the mild hybrid and 32% for the BEV variant. The Lancia Ypsilon (-36.1%) drops one spot to #3 with 3% share, exactly the same level as YTD. The Citroen C3 (-49.1%) is hit full frontal year-on-year but gains 8 spots on September to #4, distancing the Renault Captur (-42.1%) and Jeep Compass (-31.9%). The VW T-Cross (-3.9%) resists best in the Top 10, with the Dacia Sandero (-31.4%) down 4 spots to #8 and the Peugeot 2008 (-24.4%) up 8 to #9. The Dacia Spring remains the best-selling BEV in Italy and drops one rank to #12 while the new Toyota Yaris Cross is up 27 spots to #15, its highest ranking so far in Europe and sending the Yaris down -76.6%.

Previous month: Italy September 2021: Dacia scores first ever podium finish, Spring #11, market hit -32.5% 

One year ago: Italy October 2020: Fiat, Suzuki, Skoda, private sales headline stabilised market (-0.3%)

Full October 2021 Top 45 All-brands and Top 50 models below.