Fiat
Group has started 2012 as it finished 2011, losing sales
and market share as consumers continue to shun its
products in the showrooms across Europe. There were few
positives to grasp onto for Fiat Group Automobiles (FGA)
although Lancia gained 8.3 percent year-on-year in
January, however the key Fiat brand shed over ten
thousand units and Alfa Romeo's sales collapsed by more
than a quarter.
In total 1,003,313 new passenger cars were sold across
Europe according to European automotive industry body
ACEA (data counting the 27 EU members plus the EFTA
signatories) during January, a drop of seventy thousand
units and 6.6 percent over the opening month of last
year.
Fiat Group notched up 69,479 registrations during
January a fall of thirteen thousand units and 15.9
percent on January 2011 when the Italian carmaker sold
82,602 cars. It was yet another catastrophic performance
by Fiat Group and left it amongst the worst performers
for the month sandwiched between the two French groups
which also suffered badly: Renault dropped 24.6 percent
while PSA Peugeot-Citroën shed 14.6 percent, both albeit
off much more significant sales volumes. Amongst the big
nine carmaking groups in Europe, GM also suffered double
digit losses for January; it was down 13.8 percent
year-on-year. That dismal performance meant Fiat Group's
European market share for the month just gone dropped
from 7.7 percent in 2011 to 6.9 percent in 2012.
As ever the Fiat brand was the rotten apple in the FGA
stable as 48,709 cars registered last month compared to
59,673 during January 2011 was a sharp drop of 18.4
percent. Fiat's market share also dropped below the key
five percent threshold (to 4.9 percent) down from 5.6
percent during January 2011.
Lancia put on a respectable 8.3 percent as it sold 9,014
cars last month compared to 8,322 during January 2011
and as a result its European market share climbs by 0.1
percent to 0.9 percent year-on-year. Lancia also counts
on a handful of sales in the UK and Ireland by Chrysler
in its total, but in effect this is just a nominal
contribution.
The chaotic management of Alfa Romeo by Fiat Group shows
no sign of abating, and after a year of solid gains the
sports brand is seeing its sales nosedive again in
recent months. Alfa Romeo added 8,908 sales last month
across Europe, a drop of over three thousand units and
27.3 percent on the same month last year when it shifted
12,247 cars. Alfa Romeo's market share thus dropped from
1.1 percent in January 2011 to 0.9 percent last month -
and in a graphic illustration of its downgrade in FGA
priorities, it was also outsold by Lancia.
Jeep was the best performer for FGA in year-on-year
terms during January, up 57.9 percent after selling
2,289 vehicles last month compared to 1,450 during the
same period in 2011. That meant the Chrysler Group's
off-road brand doubled its European market share from
0.1 percent in January 2011 to 0.2 percent in January
2012.
The Fiat Group's two luxury/performance brands, Ferrari
and Maserati, have also fallen out of favour with
European consumers and a total 558 sales combined during
January represented another collapse in volumes, down
38.7 percent on the the 910 vehicles the pair sold
combined during the equivalent month last year.
|
|
|
