With more than ten thousand vehicle registrations ahead of Volkswagen, the second biggest carmaker in the ranking of new car sales, Fiat Automóveis retains the leadership of automobile and light commercial vehicle’s sales in Brazil after the first four months of the year, with a highly impressive figure of 160,363 units sold, a number corresponds to 25.1 percent of the whole market. This represents not only a growth of 27.2 percent on the sales registered during the same period of last year, but is well above the average year-on-year sales rise of the entire market in 2006 which stands at 22.8%. In April, Fiat’s sales of 41,290 units was the highest amongst all the brands exposed to Latin America's biggest market.

The Palio family (Palio hatchback, Palio Weekend, Siena and Strada Pick-up) was the jewel in Fiat's crown as usual, keeping up the great sales success it has registered over the last decade. The Palio hatchback has sold 58,888 units in the first four months representing a growth of 53 percent compared to the same period of 2006. The facelifted Palio which arrived on the market in March has been an instant success, its range of FLEX (dual fuel) engines have been well received by customers as has the sporty, youth-orientated 1.8 R version. Meanwhile the Siena, which is to shortly receive a final facelift, recorded an impressive 84 percent year-on-year growth in the same period, selling 22,801 units for the year-to-date, and also in April setting monthly record for this model.
 

The Strada pick-up has also kept its successful path of sales among Brazilian light commercial vehicles, this model has sold 18,447 units in the first four months of the year, which means 54 percent year-on-year growth in relation to the same period of 2006, and at the same time it has enlarging its leadership amongst the light commercial vehicles and its expressive supremacy in the segment for light pick-ups.

Fiat's great success in the compact category with Palio, compact sedan and station wagon category, with Siena and Palio Weekend, and in the light pick-ups with Strada, means that the brand has the best chance to achieve success in the two segments that that are currently seeing the biggest growth in the Brazilian market, namely the compact premium and medium sized 4 door sedan categories. To tackle these categories the Grande Punto and Linea are to be launched later this year.

by Claudio Perlini