The Fiat Stilo (10,792 YTD) has seen Brazilian demand doubling this year: from 751 units in January to 1,435 last month, and with a facelifted version due to be launched shortly. The new Brazilian-built Grande Punto (known simply as the Punto in Latin America) was launched to the media in August (above) and has been on sale domestically for just two months; its sales have already passed the 6,000 mark. The Fiat Strada pickup has seen its sales boosted by the Adventure series model (above) which offers helpings of 'off road' appeal delivered at a cost-effective price.

Fiat Brazil is having a record breaking year. Last month it sold 60,314 vehicles, yet another monthly record in the entire 31 years it has been building vehicles in Brazil, and it has sold 490,450 vehicles up to the end of October in Latin America's most populous country, again a new record, to give it 26 percent of all domestic sales this year. And while the overall market is up 29.8 pct year-on-year, Fiat is up by 31.5 percent.

Underpinning this success story is an amazing year long run that has seen virtually every model in the Fiat range making year-on-year gains as Fiat Brazil cements its position as the biggest seller in Brazil.

The Fiat Palio hatchback is Brazil's second-best selling car this year and is now threatening the long term number one status of the VW Gol. For the year-to-date the Gol stands on 195,835 units while the Palio is close behind on 182,294. The Palio kicked off the year by shifting 14,285 units in January and then a further 12,329 in February. The facelifted version (dubbed the Palio 2008) arrived in March and coincided with a sales boost, that month the Palio accounted for 18,081 units, followed by April (15,194), May (20,792), June (18,840), July (20,179), August (22,357), September (18,604), and October (21,633). Its August total of 22,357 units saw it comprehensively beat the Gol (19,975 in Aug) while in September it was just as single unit shy of its VW rival.

Long since forgotten in Europe where it was a very common sight on the continent's roads in the 1980s, the B-segment Uno has forged a highly successful career in Brazil where it is the nation's entry-level car of choice, and with 104,434 units shifted this year to the end of October it is the market's third best seller. Its sales have also strengthened dramatically as the year has progressed, its sales YTD: Jan (6,711), Feb (8,106), Mar (9,199), Apr (9,231), May (11,797), Jun (11,681), Jul (12,377), Aug (13,498), Sep (10,248) and Oct (11,586). The Uno's place in the Brazilian landscape is assured for the immediate future as Fiat Automóveis CEO Cledorvino Belini stated recently that he expects it to remain in production until 2014.

Brazil's fourth best seller is the GM Celta (103,005 YTD) ahead of the VW Fox/Crossfox (101,981 YTD) and the GM Corsa Sedan (92,445 YTD). Next up is the Fiat Siena saloon, and it too has seen its sales climbing all year: Jan (5,111), Feb (5,718), Mar (6,277), Apr (5,694), May (7,837), Jun (7,568), Jul (8,177), Aug (9,332), Sep (7,093) and Oct (8,415). And just like the new Palio (2008), the comprehensively facelifted Siena (called the Siena 2008) which was launched to the media this month arrives in the showrooms boosted by a position of continually growing sales for the model it now supersedes.

The ninth best selling model for the year-to-date, its also Brazil's best selling light commercial vehicle - the Fiat Strada pickup. With 50,271 unit sales between January and November its is well clear of its closest LCV rival, the Ford Ecosport (36,209 YTD) and just like the Palio, Uno and Siena, the Strada has seen demand growing all year: Jan (3,711), Feb (4,236), Mar (5,532), Apr (4,968), May (5,092), Jun (4,986), Jul (5,441), Aug (5,584), Sep (4,598) and October (6,123). The Strada has seen its sales boosted by the Adventure series model which offers helpings of 'off road' appeal delivered at a cost-effective price.

Rounding out the top-20 best sellers in Brazil is the Idea 'monovolume', with 23,892 units YTD to its name; and just like the Strada, its sales have been boosted by the inclusion of an Adventure variant in the range, and again like the pick-up, sales are close to doubling this year: Jan (1,667), Feb (1,894), Mar (2,465), Apr (2,033), May (2,445), Jun (2,721), Jul (2,620), Aug (2,696), Sep (2,192) and October (2,886).

The Palio Weekend (15,170 YTD) has seen is sales remaining steady all year. The Fiorino van is on 12,584 units for YTD and its sales have doubled as the year has progressed: from 647 units in January to 1,686 last month. The Stilo (10,792 YTD) has also seen demand doubling this year: from 751 units in January to 1,435 last month, and with a facelifted version due to be launched shortly. The Doblò van, another model to feature an Adventure-badged version, has 8,497 unit sales YTD. Finally the new Brazilian-built Grande Punto (known simply as the Punto in Latin America) was launched to the media in August and has been on sale in Brazil for just two months; its sales have already passed the 6,000 mark with an order book that is already several months long.

by Claudio Perlini