Despite the (objective) difficulties brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 was a good year for Fiat. It was a landmark year, as it achieved two historic sales records and allows it to look to the future with optimism, thanks to the new products it has introduced. Commenting on a special year for the Italian brand, Luca Napolitano, head of Fiat and of Lancia & Abarth for the EMEA region, took stock of the year, detailing the reasons why he is optimistic about 2021:
"2020 was a difficult year for all of us. But for Fiat it was also a year of renewal, with many new products and many new records. Of these, the 500 and Panda stand out, the most popular city cars in Europe, which together captured 35.6% of the market, with an increase of 3% for each model. At the same time, in 2020 we celebrated the 40th birthday of the Panda, which achieved an all-time record with 17.8% market share in Europe and 47.8% in Italy. At the same time, the 500 was also setting a record, capturing the best share in the brand's history outside Italy with 19.3%.
The year started with the launch of the hybrid versions of the 500 and Panda in February, which immediately became the best-selling hybrid city cars, achieving 110,000 sales, as well as 2nd place in the hybrid independent category. This was the first piece of the puzzle in our march towards electrification, with 60% of Fiat cars in 2021 available with such versions, a higher than market average percentage. This re-launch year was undoubtedly also marked by the introduction of the new all-electric 500. In just two months, more than 10,000 buyers chose our new model, almost immediately leading the way in electric car sales in Italy. At the same time at the end of the year we launched the refreshed Panda and Tipo, with the new Tipo Cross offering a distinctive option for buyers. All of the above allows us to look to the new year with great optimism."
These new developments for 2020, combined with the additional new proposals the brand is preparing, such as the renewed 500 range, provide the best starting point for an excellent year for Fiat.
