Fiat boosts worldwide sales with Brazil and Argentina... while Europe stalls

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As Europe sinks, Fiat can rejoice: the Italian brand has recorded strong growth in worldwide sales, driven almost exclusively by its performance in South America. This dynamic performance masks serious difficulties in its historic market.

+23 % worldwide thanks to Brazil and Argentina

By compiling figures from the main markets where Fiat is still firmly established, the brand posted an impressive +23 % increase in registrations compared with the previous year, and +20 % compared with two years ago. This performance is almost entirely due to the explosion in sales in Brazil, which alone accounts for more than 50 % of Fiat's worldwide registrations, with 153,503 vehicles registered between January and April 2025, up 51 % on 2024.

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The second boost came from Argentina, which surprised with 27,849 registrations, up +80 %. This makes it Fiat's third-largest market worldwide, overtaking Turkey, one of the brand's historic strongholds with its former best-seller Tipo (known locally as Egea).

Breakdown of registrations by country. Italpassion data

Turkey, France, Spain: massive setbacks

Conversely, several historic countries are posting worrying underperformance. In Turkey, due to a lack of new products, Fiat lost 34 % of its volumes (20,911 units). In France, the decline was even more brutal at -46 % (6,459 units), as in Spain (-45 %) and the UK (-17 %). Even Japan, a small market for Fiat, saw sales fall by -16 %.

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Europe in crisis...

The only European country that seems to be holding its own is Germany, with a modest increase of +6 % on last year (17,085 units). This performance may seem paradoxical, but it is largely due to the Fiat Ducato, which is counted among the brand's registrations in this country, whereas other countries distinguish between professional and private vehicles. If we remove the 11,602 Fiat Ducato registrations from January to April 2025, Germany falls to 5,483 registrations with the 500, 600, Tipo and Panda, less than France.

Fiat is paying dearly for its strategic mistakes on the Old Continent. The absence of the Fiat 500 hybrid, combined with production delays for the Grande Panda (presented in the summer of 2024, but production didn't start until the spring of 2025), are severely penalizing the brand. Worse still, labour problems at the Fiat Grande Panda factory are further complicating deliveries.

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South America as a lifeline

With nearly 200,000 vehicles registered in Brazil and Argentina out of a total of 295,502 units worldwide, Fiat can breathe easy. The year 2024 could even turn out better than expected, thanks to the strength of these emerging markets. These countries now ensure the commercial survival of a brand whose European aura is waning.

Fiat is playing for big bucks. We'll have to wait until 2026 to see if the brand manages to revive itself in Europe, in particular with the (belated) arrival of the Fiat 500 hybrid, the full roll-out of the Fiat Grande Panda, and the possible presentation of new family SUVs due in the coming months, which would bolster the current underpowered range.

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2 opinions on "Fiat boosts global sales thanks to Brazil and Argentina... while Europe stalls"

  1. Okay, the absence of the 500 hybrid, the Panda's renewal, the Tipo's neglect, etc., are some of the causes of Fiat's poor sales in Europe, but don't you think that the main cause is the absence of a B-segment city car in the range, that of the Polo, Clio, 208, C3, Corsa, etc., once Fiat's workhorse with the 600, 127, Uno, Punto and G Punto?

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