RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Fiat maintained its leadership in the sales in June – for the sixth consecutive month – with the Strada pickup leading the market. More than that: the Fiat brand placed five models among the top ten best-sellers.
And, considering Jeep (which is part of the same Stellantis group), the conglomerate’s presence reaches seven vehicles. On the other hand, Chevrolet and Volkswagen did not even enter the first ten.
The great differentiator of success was the gamble they made at the end of last year when there was already a predicted shortage of components. While some manufacturers projected a new lockdown, the Stellantis group maintained the production forecast. They are different concepts: some projected a worse scenario; others were more optimistic.
Check out the ten best-selling cars in June 2021
1- Fiat Strada – 9,697 units;
2- Fiat Argo – 9,382;
3- Hyundai HB20 – 7,609;
4- Fiat Mobi – 7,529;
5 – Jeep Renegade – 7,504;
6 – Renault Kwid – 6,083;
7 – Jeep Compass – 6,046;
8- Fiat Toro – 5,909;
9 – Hyundai Creta – 5,902;
10 – Fiat Cronos – 5,404.
As a result of this strategy, Stellantis has conquered 38% of the largest automotive market of Latin America in the year-to-date 2021. In the case of the Fiat Strada, for example, the leadership is already isolated, with 61,064 units sold since the beginning of the year, against 45,408 units sold by the Hyundai HB20, in second place. The Chevrolet Onix, which was the most sold model for five years in a row, is now fourth, with 41,510 units.
“The effects [of the component shortage] could be nightmarish and disastrous for General Motors, which, like other North American manufacturers, is mismanaging the lack of electronic components. Mainly because of the supply chain process, which places a lot of responsibility on the supplier. This left them more vulnerable”, says Cássio Pagliarini, from the automotive consultancy Bright Consulting.
Read also: Parent company of Fiat and Jeep, Stellantis aims to grow in South America
In the case of Chevrolet, the Gravataí (RS) and São Caetano do Sul (SP) complexes should remain paralyzed until August due to the lack of semiconductors – and there is no normality forecast for the Onix and Onix Plus assembly lines. In June, the brand’s best-selling model was the S10, which had 3,321 sales and regained second place in the category, behind rival Toyota Hilux.
“Let’s take into account that General Motors is right and will resume normal production in August. There will be strong competition to try to catch up. So, theoretically, what Stellantis is selling now, should not be repeated in the next months, because there will be a stronger competition in the country, mainly from Chevrolet, but also from Volkswagen,” affirms Galante.
However, for Pagliarini, it is unlikely that the recovery scenario and the resumption of competition will jeopardize the predominance of Stellantis and, especially, of Fiat.
According to the expert, the worst moment is over and the good results are the fruit of the brand’s most recent strategy, since the launch of the Argo, in 2017, when it rethought its performance after a long period of internal crisis.
STELLANTIS WAS BORN TO WIN
Stellantis N.V. is a Dutch domiciled multinational automotive manufacturing company, formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50-50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French PSA Group.
It is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands. As of May 2021, Stellantis is the sixth-largest automaker worldwide (behind Volkswagen Group, Toyota, the Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance, Hyundai Motor Group, and General Motors). The company is listed on Milan’s Borsa Italiana, on Euronext Paris, and on the New York Stock Exchange
The principal activity of Stellantis is the design, development, manufacture, and sale of automobiles bearing the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Mopar, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall brands.
Stellantis has 300,000 employees, and has a presence in more than 130 countries, with manufacturing facilities in 30 countries.