Fiat enters the last five years of this series going back to 1997. In that year, Fiat held 33.1% of the Italian market but it was not realistic to think that the brand could retain that percentage of registrations as the passing of time has confirmed.
The third generation of the Panda model (pic below the chart) has been around since 2011. It still looks quite fresh but margins at that end of the market are thin hence the length of time since a new model has been released. It will be replaced in 2024 by a rugged looking electric crossover.
In 2020, the 500e was released and that has affected sales in a positive way. The 500X is steadily slipping and 500L is departing without a replacement in sight. The Tipo has fallen quite dramatically in recent times while the Punto and Qubo have been retired.
Nearly 2 million sales for the total market since 2017 have shrunk to just over 1.3 million in 2022. Fiat's share of the Italian market over the same period has fallen from 20.4% to 13.6%. Therefore volume has over halved since '17 to just 179,000 units as a result of these two negatives combining.
Fiat is now part of the Stellantis Group and it will be interesting to see what direction the brand now takes. Profit will be the main driver of decisions as it has to be in a capitalist world. It's still early days as far as Stellantis' involvement is concerned.
For the first in the series, simply click here. Pictures: Netcarshow.
No comments:
Post a Comment