Fiat
Automobiles has suffered a second month of slumping
sales in Germany, during April the Fiat Group
Automobiles (FGA) brand was down 66.5 percent
year-on-year, more than double the overall market which
itself suffered steep falls, while the Alfa Romeo brand
fared very little better, it plunged 52.1 percent
year-on-year.
Struggling after the phasing out of the
government-sponsored incentive scheme the German new car
market was down 31.7 percent year-on-year during April
to 259,414 vehicles. There were very few winners on the
market last month although some of big losers during the
same month last year were in positive shape this time
round, including the prestige national brands BMW/Mini
and Mercedes-Benz. The other brands to turn in positive
performances on this market during the April period were
Volvo, Nissan/Infiniti, Land Rover and Porsche.
The Fiat brand, which
was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the "scrappage"
scheme last year, has seen its fortunes reversed in 2010
as the benefits of this incentive dried up, its 8,020
units registered across Germany last month was down 66.5
percent year-on-year to give it a 3.1 percent share of
the overall market. Alfa Romeo's 646 units sold was down
52.1 percent and means it takes a 0.2 percent share of
the market for the month while the picture is equally
gloomy at Lancia, its 121 units was down 67.6 percent
year-on-year.
For the year to date
the German market is down by more than a quarter (-25.5
percent) to 929,824 vehicles with only four brands -
Nissan, Land Rover, Jaguar and BMW/Mini - in positive
territory for the year-to-date. The picture for the
first four months of the year is gloomy for the Fiat
brand, its 26,136 sales leave it down 61.5 percent on
the same period last year and with a 2.8 percent share
of the market. Alfa Romeo's 2,198 units for the first
third of the year leave it down 41.5 percent
year-on-year and with a 0.2 percent share of the market
while Lancia is on 523 units for the year-to-date, a
fall of 61.8 percent compared to the same period last
year.
Through April Chrysler
Group continued its uninterrupted sales decline on this
market, the U.S. carmaker which is 20 percent owned by
Fiat Group, achieved just 523 registrations combined
across its three brands (Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep) last
month, adding up to a year-on-year fall of 24.2 percent.
That gave it a 0.2 percent share of sales in Germany for
the month. For the year-to-date the picture is no better
and a combined total of 2,077 units adds up to a
year-on-year fall of 33.9 percent and a market share
over the first four months of the year of 0.2 percent.
