Italy September 2024: Fiat (-43.7%) fails to top the charts again, outsold by VW and Toyota

Volkswagen is the best-selling carmaker in Italy in September.

121,666 new cars found a buyer in Italy in September, a disappointing -10.7% year-on-year loss. The year-to-date tally remains in positive however at a shy +2.1% to 1,202,122. But this is still -18.4% below the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 (1,473,355). Private sales resist better than the market at -4% to 78,628 and 64% share vs. 59.1% a year ago and are up 5.8% year-to-date to 693,245 and 57% share vs. 54.9% over the same period in 2023. Self registrations sink -24.3% to 13,246 and 10.8% share vs. 12.6% in September 2023 but soar 18.4% YTD to 138,343 and 11.4% share vs. 9.8%. Long term leases are in bad shape too at -24.9% to 21,717 and 17.7% share vs. 20.9% and are off -17.7% to 243,006 and 20% share vs. 24.7%. Short-term rentals edge down -6.9% to a tiny 1,565 now that the summer season is over but surge 28.4% YTD to 73,588 and 6.1% share vs. 4.8% over the fist 8 months of 2023. Finally company sales drop -10.2% to 7,743 and are down -1.8% YTD to 67,829.

In terms of propulsion, the big news, as is also the case in Spain, is the outstanding shape of BEVs up 29% to 6,437, yet at a still very modest 5.2% share vs. 3.6% a year ago and 4% year-to-date where it is up 5.3% at 48,425. PHEVs sink -25.5% to 4,136 and 3.4% share vs. 4% and -24.8% YTD to 40,709 and 3.3% share vs. 4.5% over the same period in 2023. HEVs edge down -1.5% to 53,975 and 43.0% share vs. 39.5% including 17,023 full hybrids (+11.1%) and 36,952 mild hybrids (-6.4%). Year-to-date, HEV sales are up a solid 12.9% to 481,407 and 39.6% share vs. 35.7% a year ago, that includes 136,938 full hybrids (+20.8%) and 344,466 mild hybrids (+10%). Meanwhile petrol is off -23% for the month at 31,260 and 25.4% share vs. 29.3% in September 2023 but up 6.4% YTD to 357,696 and 29.4% share vs. 28.2% in 2023. Diesel is down -27.3%  to 15,634 and 12.7% share vs. 15.5% and off -22.8% YTD to 171,869 and 14.1% share vs. 18.7%. Finally LPG edges up 2.9% to 11,447 and 9.3% share vs. 8% and is up 7.5% YTD to 114,666 and 9.4% share vs. 8.9%.

Last month turned out to not be a freak event: after diving to a shocking 4th place in August, Fiat (-43.7%) is once again beaten and can only rank #3 this month with 7.5% share, a tiny bit better than the lowest ever 6.9% it held in August. This means Fiat isn’t the most popular carmaker at home for the 2nd month in a row and the third time in the past 10 months. The 500 (-93.4%) and 500X (-97.2%) both crash hard, with the new 600, at a disappointing #29, the only additional Fiat in the Top 50. #1 last December, Volkswagen (-3.8%) reiterates this feat in September with 8% share, and ends the month just 38 sales above last month’s leader Toyota (-5.9%). Renault (+14.1%) and Dacia (+18.5%) round out the Top 5, both in outstanding shape. BMW (+26.1%) scores the biggest gain in the Top 15 and advances to #8 year-to-date. MG (+12.3%) and Skoda (+10.3%) also score solid gains but Tesla (+115.1%) is the best performer in the Top 35. Notice also the arrival of Omoda at #34 and Lancia imploding -72.2% to #25 as the Ypsilon generation changeover period starts.

Model-wise, the Fiat Panda (-25.8%) remains in the top spot at 5.8% share with the Top 4 unchanged on last month: the Dacia Sandero (+2.4%) ranks #2 ahead of the Jeep Avenger (+32.9%) scoring its second ever podium finish in Italy and the Toyota Yaris Cross (-9.5%). Note the Avenger shoots up to #3 year-to-date as a result. In the remainder of the Top 10, the Dacia Duster (+45.7%) fares best year-on-year, while  the Renault Captur (+26.6%), Renault Clio (+16.7%) and Peugeot 208 (+9.2%) also fare very well. Below, the BMW X1 (+104.8%) is up a further two spots on August to a record 12th place.

Previous month: Italy August 2024: Fiat falls to #4 below Toyota, Volkswagen and Dacia

One year ago: Italy September 2023: Jeep Avenger cracks Top 10, sales up 22.8%

Full September 2024 Top 51 All brands and Top 50 models below.