Fiat celebrates successful 2009

Fiat Group Automobiles UK is celebrating a highly successful sales year in 2009, having recorded almost 71,000 sales of Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Abarth cars. In the same 12 months, Fiat brand recorded its best annual market share (3.02 per cent) since 2002.

A total of 60,337 Fiat cars were sold in UK last year, according to figures supplied by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This compares with 55,325 sold in 2008, and is its best result for five years.

The 12-month period includes sales of more than 24,000 Fiat 500s, dramatically up from 15,000 last year. The popular city car had an especially good December – finishing the month as the country’s ninth best-selling car.

Alfa Romeo’s flourishing 2009 in the UK was boosted by strong demand for the MiTo. More than 6000 have been sold since its launch in January 2009, and Alfa Romeo UK finished the year with sales of 9067 units, dramatically up from 5950 sales recorded in 2008. This was its best result here for six years, and its best UK market share (0.45 per cent) since 2003.

Finally, Abarth cars recorded healthy sales of 1381 units to make a significant and growing contribution to FGA UK’s burgeoning sales story.

Fiat also enjoyed success in the used car market in 2009 with some impressive residual value increases across most models and derivatives. The demand for good value, economical cars meant Fiat were well placed, with some of the UK’s most popular cars in the Fiat Panda, Grande Punto, 500, Bravo and Sedici. 

“The best year since 2002, with a market share of over three per cent, the last quarter averaging over four per cent, and sales of nearly 71,000 cars – the figures speak for themselves,” says Andrew Humberstone, managing director, FGA UK and Ireland. “This is the result of a clear strategy coming to fruition, an unmistakable recovery of the brands and their product initiatives, and the support of a more streamlined dealer network which is showing improvements to its profitability.

“This has also been an exceptional year for Fiat used cars with many residual values far exceeding the market norm; Grande Punto for instance saw a 25 per cent increase in values, while Panda experienced over 22 per cent.”