Fiat Group has swatted the widespread economic gloom to one side to turn in an impressive performance in Italy last month. Photos: Lancia Delta (top), Alfa MiTo (middle) and Fiat 500 C (bottom) at last month's Geneva Motor Show.

Fiat Group has swatted the economic gloom to one side to turn in an impressive performance in Italy last month: with 70,036 new vehicle registrations it was up 6.06 percent year-on-year and it easily outperformed the overall market which was virtually flat. With 214,218 registrations the Italian new car market bounced back from months of dramatically falling sales to end March up by 0.24 pct according to data released by automotive body UNRAE late this afternoon. The Fiat Group's sterling performance meant that it raised its overall share of the Italian new car market from 30.93 to 32.72 percent.

The Fiat brand (including the Fiat Professional and Abarth divisions) had a very good month as consumers poured into the showrooms to take advantage of rebates on offer for smaller, less polluting cars, and it accounted for 54,521 registrations, up by 3.51 pct on the 52,670 units it sold last March. Lancia added 9,346 units in March which put it up an impressive 6.64 pct year-on-year (8,764 units in March 2008). Alfa Romeo meanwhile accounted for 6,015 units pushed by demand for the new MiTo and, after it's sales were slowed last year as it got itself back on track following the temporary shut down of its key Naples plant, it was up 35.47 pct year-on-year (4,440 units in March 2008). This all meant that the Fiat brand's share of the market was up from 24.65 to 25.45 pct year-on-year, Lancia was up from 4.10 to 4.36 pct, and Alfa Romeo also increased its share, from 2.08 to 2.81 pct. Of the niche Fiat Group brands, Ferrari sold 84 units last month, up 42.37 pct, while Maserati added 70 and was down 22.22 pct.

After the first quarter of the year the Fiat Group has notched up 174,193 new vehicle registrations in Italy, down 16.03 pct. However the national carmaker has comfortably outperformed the overall market so far and its share is up from 31.19 pct during the first quarter of last year to 32.39 pct during the same period in 2009. The Fiat brand accounts for 168,860 units for the year to date and is down 19.26 pct, Lancia has sold 22,783 examples of its refined models and has shed 17.06, while Alfa Romeo is on 14,608 units and is up 34.43 pct.

Italy's best selling new car last month was the Fiat Punto Classic/Grande Punto (17,376) putting it ahead of the Fiat Panda (15,589) as sales of smaller models surged. The Ford Fiesta was third. The Fiat 500 (9,675) was next up in fourth place while in eighth Lancia's Ypsilon (4,592) wrapped up Fiat Group interest in the top-10. For the year to date the Panda (41,083) just edges out the Punto Classic/Grande Punto (38,890) with the 500 (25,504) in fourth. The final FGA representative in the top-10 for the year to date in the Ypsilon (10,935) in ninth place.

In the A- and B-segments Fiat ruled the roost in March thanks to the Panda and Grande Punto, while in C-segment the Fiat Bravo (3,619) was third, slotting in behind the VW Golf and Ford Focus; it now has 8,378 unit sales for the year-to-date. Lancia's Delta (2,691) was fifth in C-segment and it accounts for 5,691 registrations after the first quarter of the year, while the final FGA representation in the segment was the Fiat Sedici (1,749) which just nudged its way into the top-10 in ninth place. In D-segment the Alfa 159 (1,551) was the third best-seller just a single unit ahead of the Fiat Croma (1,550) while the top-two spots were held by the BMW 3-series and Audi A4. Amongst the categories, the Lancia Musa (1,847) was the best seller in the class reserved for small MPVs with the Fiat Idea (931) in fifth place. The new Alfa MiTo (2,816) was comfortably the best-selling coupé with the BMW 3-series (364) a very distant second. The four wheel drive version of the Sedici (419) was second amongst the crossover cars, and in 'Multipace' the Fiorino (776) ran out top ahead of the Doblò (633).