Italy January 2022: Toyota Yaris Cross repeats at #5 in market sinking -19.7%

The Toyota Yaris Cross is cannibalising Yaris sales in Italy.

Now updated with the Top 30 BEV models.

New car sales in Italy tumble down -19.7% year-on-year in January to 107,814 units whereas January 2021 was already down -14.1% on the year prior. A very poor start of the year for the Italian market. private sales drop -20.7% to 72,684 and 66.7% share vs. 67.9% a year ago, self registrations recede -27.1% to 11,425, long term leases decelerate -16.7% to 16,986 and 15.6% share vs. 15.1% while short term rentals improve 136.7% to 1,832 and 1.7% vs. 0.6% and company sales dip -7.8% to 6,081 and 5.6% share vs. 4.9%. Looking at sales by fuel source, petrol is down -39% to 29,659 and 27.2% vs. 36% a year ago, diesel drops -43.2% to 20,734 and 19% share vs. 27% but GPL is up 22.8% to 10,059 and 9.2% share vs. 6.1% a year ago. Electrified vehicles continue to ignore the depleted market: HEV is up 15.7% to 38,016 and 34.9% share vs. 24.3% in January 2021, that includes 27,159 mild hybrid (MHEV) up 10.3%. PHEV is up 45.3% to 5,461 and 5% share vs. 2.8% a year ago and BEV is up 46.5% to 3,658 and 3.4% share vs. 1.8%.   

Brand-wise, Fiat (-20.6%) falls faster than its home market to a weak 14.9% share while Ford (-8.6%) shoots up six spots on December to #2 overall, dislodging Volkswagen (-29.6%) in deep trouble. Toyota (-11.4%) is down one rank to #4 just as Dacia (+42.7%) scores the largest gain in the Top 20 to round out the Top 5. Dacia has ranked inside the Italian Top 5 during 4 of the past 5 months. All other Top 10 members fall heavily, with Opel (-31.9%) and Peugeot (-27.7%) the hardest hit followed by Renault (-21.5%) and BMW (-21.5%) while Jeep (-17.7%) manages to keep its fall below the market rate. Below, Kia (-1%) and Hyundai (-9.5%) resist while DR Motor (+297.3%) shows explosive growth and is now knocking on the Top 20’s door. 

The Fiat Panda (-22.2%) easily retains the models top spot but is followed this time by the Dacia Sandero (+97.5%) almost doubling its sales year-on-year and up 20 spots on December to equal its highest ranking at #2, also hit last June. The Ford Puma (+27.2%) is also back from the brink, up 15 ranks on last month to #3, also a ranking record also hit in February 2021. The Lancia Ypsilon (-19.3%) is back up two spots on December to #4 while the Toyota Yaris Cross repeats at a best-ever 5th place with 3% share, sending the Yaris down -44.5% to #9. The VW Polo (+6.2%) is the only remaining Top 10 model in positive with the Peugeot 2008 (-0.5%), Fiat 500X (-6.7%) and Dacia Duster (-12.1%) all down but outpacing the market. The Dacia Spring tops BEV models above the Fiat 500 and Renault Twingo.

Previous month: Italy Full Year 2021: Fiat Panda and 500 dominate in market up 5.5%

One year ago: Italy January 2021: Toyota (+19%) places Yaris at #2 again, defies market down -14.1%

Full January 2022 Top 45 All-brands, Top 50 models and Top 30 BEVs below.