The FCA sales report covering the European car market in the first half of 2019 has left many industry observers in a state of shocked amusement. Lancia, a carmaker everyone thought was going to disappear soon, has unexpectedly managed to sell 34,600 vehicles within the period – AND outsell the much-hyped Alfa Romeo by a whopping 5,500 units.
Thus, the Italian luxury automobile manufacturer has lost 42% in sales volumes compared to 2018, while Lancia lunged ahead with +28%. The situation appears even more unusual when you consider that the latter is only represented by a single car – the Ypsilon hatchback – on the market, while the former has six cars on offer. That said, none of the six are particularly popular: the Giulietta and Giulia both plunged down 50%, the 4C lost close to one-third of its customer base, and the latest Stelvio SUV only sold 13,771 copies in 1H 2018, down three thousand from 1H 2017.
You would think the whole industry was in decline, but the Lancia Ypsilon, for one, did exceptionally well. Then again, the hatchback had much going for it: first, it had virtually no competition on its domestic market. Second, it is the largest mini-SUV out there, and the company gives large discounts on it.
Originally, Lancia planned to pull out of business in 2018. With the new sales figures revealed, rumors persist that the marque won’t be going anywhere soon. Moreover, it could soon come out with the next generation of the Ypsilon, which would then hit the showrooms sometime in 2020.