Stellantis which was formed in 2021 on the basis of a 50–50 cross-border merger between the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group, is the world’s 5th largest automaker behind Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and General Motors.
There are no less than 16 brands under the umbrella of the Stellantis group including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Mopar, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall. However, out of these 16, Fiat has emerged as the bestselling car brand under the Stellantis umbrella in the year 2022 sales.
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According to Stellantis, Fiat delivered over 1.2 million units globally in 2022, including sales of Fiat Professional and Abarth, making it the best-selling automotive brand in the group. More than 80% of Fiat sales occurred in Europe and South America.
Stellantis revealed that Fiat was dominant in Brazil, securing a 21.9% market share with 430,000 units sold in 2022, helped by the popularity of the Strada and Toro pickups. Another great performance was in Turkey with an 18.7% market share, thanks to the locally produced Tipo. Fiat was also the leader in its home market, Italy, with a 15.1% share. In Europe, the automaker was the market leader in the urban car segment with the 500 and Panda accounting for an impressive 43.8% despite their age.
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According to brand CEO Olivier Francois, the only zero-emission passenger car in Fiat’s current lineup, the Fiat 500e, sold nearly 120,000 units in 2022, with 66,000 of them being registered in Europe. The 500e was the best-selling EV in Italy, the second-best in France, and the third-best in 10 major European markets including Germany. Interestingly, it was also the best-selling electric model of Stellantis, accounting for a major chunk of the cumulative sales of 288,000 EVs annually for the group.
Despite its success in other parts of the world, Fiat hasn’t been that successful in our region. In fact, Fiat limped for several years with outdated products and a minuscule line-up in the highly competitive Indian market and eventually made an exit in 2019.
Fiat in Pakistan
In 2016 when the Auto Policy 2016-21 was being formulated, Fiat showed its intention to step into our market. Stefano Pontecorvo, the Italian Ambassador to Pakistan, had met with the then Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar, and mentioned the intentions of Fiat to make Pakistan its “next possible investment destination”. Miftah Ismail, who was Chairman of the Board of Investment back then, had also visited Italy in 2016 to discuss with Fiat officials regarding their plans to explore the Pakistani market, however nothing shaped into reality.
Related: A Look Back at FIAT in Pakistan
Bear in mind Fiat cars were being assembled in Pakistan during the late 90s as Raja Motor Company and Fiat entered into a technical collaboration agreement for progressive assembly & manufacturing of Fiat branded cars in Pakistan. The plant was located in Landhi Industrial Area, Karachi with a land area of 10 acres including the main production area and warehousing with a built-up area of approximately 1,50,000 sq. ft. at a cost of Rs. 1 Billion. It was considered a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant of its time with an Electro Deposit (ED) Paint Coating facility under its roof. The project was inaugurated by the then President of Pakistan, Mr. Rafiq Tarar in January 2001 and commenced production in March 2001 with Fiat Uno 1700 cc diesel hatchback.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
