The Fiat Group saw total of 55,177 sales last month, twenty five thousand units down on the same month last year (81,018 units in January 2010) while the overall market slid 27.57 percent to 187,687 units (versus 259,115 during March 2010) according to data released by Italian automotive trade body UNRAE. That performance meant that the Fiat Group's sales fall was somewhat closer to the overall market's decline than in recent months and thus is market share for the month slid less sharply, from 31.27 to 29.40 percent year-on-year.

The Fiat brand drove down the Italian carmaker's performance as ever last month, 38,813 units compared to 64,485 units during the same month a year ago equating to a year-on-year slump of 39.81 percent and its market share dropped more than four percentage points from 24.89 to 20.68 percent year-on-year. That performance was also significantly worse than the previous month, February, when sales dropped by a third.

Lancia's market share dropped by more than a fifth last month (-22.02 percent) although it comfortably outperformed the overall market thanks to continuing resilience from the outgoing B-segment Ypsilon hatchback and despite its replacement being due to arriving in the showrooms in a month's time. Its 9,115 units during March was down two-and-a-half thousand year-on-year (11,689 units in March 2010) but as it beat the overall market fall so Lancia's share climbed from 4.51 to 4.86 percent. Alfa Romeo continued to provide Fiat Group Automobiles (FGA) with some much needed relief and 7,144 units in March compared to 4,725 units during the same month last year added up to a year-on-year rise of 51.20 percent and a hike in its market share from 1.82 to 3.81 percent. The Fiat Group's niche brands, Ferrari and Maserati, turned in a mixed month: the Maranello sports car maker sold 64 cars, up 4.92 percent year-on-year, while the Modenese marque's 41 sales was down 29.31 percent.

After the first quarter of the year the Italian market has seen a total of 513,710 new cars registered, down 23.10 percent on the same three months of last year, while the Fiat Group has 149,067 registrations for the year-to-date compared to 210,026 units last year, a fall of 29.02 percent year-on-year for the period. As the Fiat Group has significantly underperformed the overall market in this period its market share for the first quarter thus slips from 31.44 to 29.02 percent year-on-year.

With 105,298 registrations so far this year compared to 165,115 for the same period of 2010 the Fiat brand has lost fifty thousand units and slumped by more than a third (-36.23 percent) year-on-year. The Fiat brand's share of the market for the opening quarter of the year correspondingly slides from 24.72 to 20.50 percent. Lancia's 23,460 units for the year-to-date compared to 30,025 for the same period last year is a market-beating 21.87 percent drop and thus its share for the first quarter actually rises from 4.49 to 4.57 percent. Alfa Romeo is positive though for the year-to-date, 19,986 units compared to 14,533 units for the opening three months of last year is a rise of 37.52 percent and its market share jumps from 2.18 to 3.89 percent year-on-year. Of the Group's niche luxury/performance brands, Ferrari has 219 sales so far this year (+2.82 percent) while Maserati has just 104 (-25.71 percent).

The Fiat Punto (13,843) was Italy's best selling new car last month more than twelve hundred units clear of the second-placed Fiat Panda (12,604). Lancia's outgoing Ypsilon (5,305) was an impressive fifth, pushing the Fiat 500 (5,241) down to sixth. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta (4,165) was ninth, but significantly it was actually three-and-a-half thousand units adrift of February's tally. The Punto (6,230) was also Italy's best-selling diesel in March with the Giulietta (3,134) in fourth and the Fiat Bravo (2,589) in eighth rounding out FGA's representation in the oil-burning top-ten. For the year-to-date the Punto (37,822) and the Panda (32,007) are clear at the top as the best-sellers in Italy, with the 500 (16,800) in fourth, the Ypsilon (13,380) in sixth and the Giulietta (11,924) in eighth wrapping up FGA interest in the top ten. Amongst diesel cars for the year-to-date the Punto (16,451) is the top seller with the Giulietta (8,937) the runner up and the Bravo (7,167) in fifth.

The Chrysler Group, now 25 percent owned by the Fiat Group, saw its sales halve during March, from 1,185 to 579 units year-on-year although the disappearance of the Dodge brand (just 2 units registered last month) and the phasing out of the Chrysler brand (83 units sold in March) means the data isn't representative anymore.  The sole surviving brand, Jeep, registered 494 units last month, down 5.36 percent year-on-year (522 units in March 2010). For the year-to-date the Chrysler Group has 1,804 registrations and is down 27.70 percent year-on-year (2,495 units for January to March 2010). However the only fully representative brand, Jeep, has 1,511 sales for the year-to-date compared to 1,224 units for the opening three months of last year, a 23.45 percent rise in registrations.