Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) failed to grasp the surge in European cars sales during the first month of the year, it was up just 1.2% year-on-year, with Alfa Romeo and Jeep both recording big gains to help offset the Fiat brand which was the only big looser in Europe ground during January.
During the first month of the year demand for passenger cars in the European Union grew significantly (+7.1%) compared to January last year – benefitting from a positive calendar effect. New car registrations amounted to 1,253,877 units during January.
Nearly all major EU car markets posted growth, except for the United Kingdom (-6.3%), which saw car sales decline for the tenth consecutive month. Spain (+20.3%) and Germany (+11.6%) recorded the strongest gains, followed by Italy (+3.4%) and France (+2.5%).
In total FCA totted up 84,953 sales during January (following data counts the EU member nations plus the EFTA signatories) which was up one thousand units year-on-year but due it significantly underperforming the total market growth the Italian-American carmaker’s share of all sales for the month fell by 0.4% year-on-year to 6.6%.
The Fiat brand was the big looser as it missed the market rise and in fact went the other way, slumping 5.8% year-on-year after selling 59,905 cars, a decline of more than three thousand seven hundred units over January 2017. As a result, Fiat's market share dropped by 0.6% year-on-year to 4.7%.
Excluding the Vauxhall/Opel brands, which have changed ownership since last year, Fiat was the only mass brand along with Nissan (-2%) to suffer any sales decline as the new year started with a bang. In fact, the only others mainstream brands in the red ink during January were Smart (-3.5%), Jaguar (-4.9%), Land Rover (-8.1%) and FCA's Lancia brand.
FCA’s niche brands however helped to offset that loss by Fiat and Alfa Romeo was up by almost and quarter and one thousand five hundred units to wrap up January with a solid 7,467 sales. As a result of outperforming the overall market its share of sales for the opening month of the year edged year-on-year up 0.1% to 0.6%.
The Jeep brand also enjoyed a very good start to the year and it was up five thousand units and 68.1% year-on-year after recording 12,544 sales for January to take a 1% share of the total market, comfortably up from the 0.6% share it claimed during the opening month of last year.
There was less joy however for the remainder of the FCA portfolio during January as Lancia, now restricted to selling a single model on just the Italian market fell one thousand six hundred units and 27.1% year-on-year to 4,259 units.
Meanwhile the two luxury Italian brands, Maserati and Ferrari, lost 23.4% of their sales year-on-year after finishing the first month of the year with a combined total of 778 units sold.
