Fiat has been steadily losing market share in Europe for 25 years
- 说明
Fiat has been steadily losing market share in Europe for 25 years
- The Fiat brand has been steadily losing market share in Europe (EU + Switzerland + Norway) and in Italy, its home country, since 1997. Fiat then sold more than 800,000 cars in its home country of origin, representing 34% of the Italian market. which at this time reached 1.7 million passenger cars. In 2022, Fiat sold less than 200,000 cars in Italy, representing 13% of a market which reached 1.3 million passenger cars. In 25 years, the sales drop in sales of the carmaker in Italy is therefore of 75%!
- The sales decline of the Italian carmaker in its country has been constant for 25 years. We also observe that the fall of Fiat over this period in Europe is mainly due to its fall in Italy. Fiat was unable to increase its sales in other European countries to offset its decline in Italy. And Italy has always represented the majority of Fiat sales in Europe, both in 2022 and during the previous 25 years (and even more so 50 or 60 years ago...).
- The reasons which explain this fall in Europe and Italy are multiple. But the main reasons are the gradual reduction of the carmaker's range (of which the end of the Punto remains the most emblematic factor), the partial transfer of the customer base to Jeep brand SUVs (firm bought by Fiat in 2011) while the Fiat brand was lacking of real SUVs and finally a fiercer competition of VW, Renault or Toyota.
- The merger of Fiat-Chrysler and PSA in 2021 should make it possible to rebuild a new, broader and more competitive Fiat range, which could halt the fall in its sales in Europe and Italy, which began 25 years ago.
Opel has been steadily losing market share in Europe for 25 years
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Opel has been steadily losing market share in Europe for 25 years
- The Opel brand has been steadily losing market share in Europe (EU + Switzerland + Norway) and in Germany, its home country, since 1997. Opel at this period sold more than 550,000 cars in Germany, representing 16% of the German market. which then reached 3.5 million passenger cars. In 2022, Opel sold less than 150,000 cars in Germany, representing 5% of a market that reached 2.7 million passenger cars. In 25 years, Opel sales decline is therefore 74%!
- The fall of Opel in Germany has been continuous for 25 years. Three periods stand out despite everything, from 1997 to 2002 where Opel's share in Germany fell suddenly from 16% to 10%, between 2002 and 2005 where Opel managed to stabilize its market share at 10% in a German market in decline, and finally between 2005 and 2022 where Opel dropped again in its home market with a market share going from 10% to 5% in 17 years.
- The reasons which explain this decline in Europe and Germany are multiple. But the main reasons are the lack of competitiveness of the brand compared to Volkswagen and Japanese and Korean brands, the lack of innovation, which is the result of a cost management from the owner American group General Motors (in particular delay in launching real SUVs). The fragility of Opel diesel engines also played a harmful role for the brand image.
- The acquisition of Opel by PSA in 2017 and the merger of PSA with Fiat-Chrysler in 2021 should make it possible to rebuild a new, broader and more competitive Opel range, which could halt the fall in Europe and Germany, which began there 25 years ago.
Thanks to the Dacia brand, Renault kept its position in Europe
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Thanks to the Dacia brand, Renault kept its position in Europe
- While the Renault brand has declined in France and Europe (EU + Switzerland + Norway) for 25 years, its European sales having fallen from 1.3 million passenger cars in 1997 to 600,000 in 2022 (representing a drop of 55% ) and its sales in France having fallen from 470,000 units in 1997 to 235,000 in 2022 (representing a drop of 50%), the contribution of the Dacia brand offset most of the Renault brand sales decline, both in France and in Europe. This is especially visible in terms of market share, the Renault-Dacia group having 6% of the European market and almost 25% of the French market, without much change in both cases for 25 years.
- In terms of sales volume, the Renault-Dacia group went from 1.3 million sales in 1997 to 1 million units in 2022, reflecting the overall decline of the European market, as its market share remained stable. We can therefore conclude that the Renault-Dacia combination has not lost any market in Europe over the past 25 years, if we accept that Dacia models are only rebranded Renault models.
- Dacia, which began selling Renault designed cars in France and Europe from 2005, has sold 460,000 units in Europe and 130,000 in France in 2022, representing 45% of Reanult-Dacia European sales, a share that has been constantly increasing since 2005.
- Over the first eight months of 2023, Dacia's share now reaches 46% of the group European sales. We can think that it will continue to gradually approach 50% over the coming years.
Ford has been steadily losing market share in Europe for 25 years
- 说明
Ford has been steadily losing market share in Europe for 25 years
- The Ford brand has been steadily losing market share in Europe (EU + Switzerland + Norway) and in the United Kingdom, since 1997. Ford then sold 400,000 cars in the United Kingdom, its largest European market, representing 18% of the British market which then reached 2.2 million passenger cars. In 2022, Ford sold 130,000 cars in the UK, representing 8% of a market which reached 1.6 million passenger cars. In 25 years, Ford sales in the United Kingdom dropped by 67.5%!
- The decline in its first European market has been continuous for 25 years. Three periods stand out among others: 1995 to 2005 when Ford's share in the United Kingdom fell from 21% to 14%, 2005 to 2009 where Ford managed to stabilize its market share at 15-16% in a declining British market, and finally 2009 to 2022 where Ford plunged again in the United Kingdom with a market share falling from 16% to 8% in 13 years.
- There are multiple reasons explaining this Ford situation in Europe and the United Kingdom. But the main reasons are the brand's lack of competitiveness compared to Volkswagen and Japanese and Korean brands, the lack of innovation which is the result of a cost management from the owner, the American group Ford Motor, the shrinking of the range (end of B-Max, C-Max, S-Max, Galaxy, Mondeo, Ka, Fiesta). This reduction accelerated the decline of Ford in the United Kingdom, which had remained the leader in this market since the collapse of the British Leyland group and then Austin-Rover.
- The future of Ford in Europe and the United Kingdom appears very uncertain.
The Volkswagen brand has remained strong in Europe and Germany these last 25 years
- 说明
The Volkswagen brand has remained strong in Europe and Germany these last 25 years
- The Volkswagen brand has not lost any ground over the past 25 years, either in its country of origin, Germany, or in the rest of Europe (29 countries), unlike Opel and Fiat in their home country. Volkswagen sales in Germany have always oscillated between 600,000 and 700,000 cars per year between 1995 and 2019, and the carmaker's market share has always remained at 18%-22% during this period. In 1997, Volkswagen sold 630,000 cars in its home country, representing 18% of the German market which then reached 3.5 million passenger cars. In 2022, Volkswagen sold 480,000 cars in Germany, but as the German market declined as a whole (2.7 million units), the carmaker's market share remained stable compared to 1997, at 18%. This performance has nothing to do with what happened at Opel, whose market share in Germany fell from 16% to 5% between 1997 and 2022, or Fiat, whose market share in Italy fell from 34% to 13% between 1997 and 2022.
- The Volkswagen brand has remained strong in Europe and Germany thanks to several factors: Volkswagen benefits from a wide range (Up, Polo, Golf, Passat, Arteon) and several SUVs (T-Cross, Taigo, T-Roc, Tiguan, Touareg) which are added to the range of sedans.
- The image of the brand has overshadowed mainstream brands well established in Germany such as Ford and Opel.
- Interestingly, the “dieselgate” in 2015 did not had a serious impact on Volkswagen’s sales volume. We just observed a drop in the brand's market share in Germany from 21.5% in 2015 to 19.5% in 2016 and 18.5% in 2017, then this market share steadied at 18%.