News April 2 2007

Fiat top dog in Europe last year

The Fiat Group took the 2006 European prize for the largest sales increase, with a 17.6 per cent sales increase for the 15 European Union countries and the EFTA countries, contrasting with just a 0.7 per cent increase for the market as a whole.

Within the Fiat Group, the Fiat brand scored the largest increase with the pan-European success of the new Fiat Punto lifting sales by 22 per cent, while Alfa , with the new 159 impacting on sales, saw its deliveries lift by 12.2 per cent.

Most other major car makers saw single digit increases in 2006 over their 2005 sales, with the Fiat Group the only one achieving double-digit growth and many major car makers going backwards compared to their 2005 figures. The sales boost for the Fiat Group saw it surpass the million cars a year mark and its sales in 2007 are set to continue with the launch of the new Fiat Bravo this year.

© italiancar.net 2/04/07