During September, and for the ninth consecutive month this year, Fiat Automóveis retained the leadership in the Brazilian market for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. The Italian owned company sold 49,740 units throughout September, which equated to 25.6 percent of the total sales of the market.

With this impressive result, Fiat's leadership of the Brazilian market enlarged further in the accumulated sales of the year to date, with a total of 430,136 vehicles now sold, which is equivalent to 26 percent of market share. The performance is 31.5 percent higher compared to the same period of 2006, and is four points over the average grown of the market (27.5 pct). The Brazilian car industry is seeing major production capacity growth to cope with burgeoning demand from buyers. Fiat's huge factory at Betim in the Minas Gerais region is running at full capacity and being expanded, taking on additional staff. To ease the strain, Fiat is using the paint shops of Iveco for some vehicles, including the Fiorino and Uno Furgão. By 2010 Fiat Automóveis expects Brazilian production to hit 1 million units annually.

In terms of production, last month Fiat produced 61,134 vehicles in Brazil increasing the overall numbers so far this year up to 527,984 units, a growth of 27.4 pct in comparison with the first nine months of last year.
 

This number of sales represents a brand new record in the 31 years of Fiat’s production operations in Brazil. Last month Fiat introduced the locally-built Grande Punto hatchback onto the Brazilian market and demand was instantaneous, with a waiting list quickly developing. The Grande Punto joins the comprehensively revised Palio '2008'  which was introduced in March and has been well received. A facelift version of the Siena is imminent, with production of the saloon now being shifted to the Córdoba plant in Argentina. Other key models include the Strada pick-up which is Brazil's best-selling light commercial vehicle, and the 'Adventure' series which offers the driver off-road characteristics on special versions of the Palio Weekend, Strada, Doblò and most recently the Idea, at a cost-effective price.

During September Fiat Automóveis also increased the number of vehicles it exported, with 8,663 vehicles increasing the total exports up to 78,246 units for the year, a growth of 7.5 pct. over the same period of the previous year.

by Claudio Perlini