Italian passenger car production fell by 17.4% in the first half of 2019
- Italian passenger car production fell by 17.4% in the first half of 2019, after having already fallen by 4.1% over the whole of 2018. These unfavorable performances are obviously linked to the decline in world markets, but they have been amplified by the very structure of the Italian automotive industry, which owes its survival solely to the strategy of the Fiat-Chrysler group, which accounts for almost all of that country’s car production.
- Accordingly, when FCA strategy does not produce significant market results, Italy loses ground. Thus, the non-replacement of the Fiat Punto, the Alfa-Roméo Mito and the Lancia Ypsilon created a void in the manufacturer's range, which resulted in a loss of market share on the Italian market, its main market, but also on foreign markets.
- The ageing of the Fiat Panda and Fiat 500 has also amplified this phenomenon. Finally, the abandonment of various projects for the Alfa-Romeo brand and the failure of recent models such as the Giulia have also had negative consequences.
- In the first six months of 2019, Italy produced 320,000 passenger cars compared to 390,000 units in the same period of the previous year. The future does not seem likely to bring significant improvements, due to the expected further decline in global markets and an FCA Group strategy that tends to focus on North American markets. The only good news is the announced transfer of part of the Jeep Compass from Mexico to the Italian Melfi plant. These Italian-made Jeep Compasses will all be destined for the European market (75,000 sales were recorded in 2018).
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