Now that the new year has arrived, there’s talk about Fiat‘s “record success” in the United States. Several media outlets have celebrated the Italian brand’s dramatic 154% sales increase in 2024, but a closer look reveals that behind this figure lies a very different reality, one that has more to do with “tweaking” statistics than renaissance.
In 2023, Fiat sold only 605 vehicles in the United States, but in 2024, this number rose to 1,528. While the increase might seem impressive, it should be noted that these 1,528 units represent fewer cars than Toyota sells in a single day. This “success” is more the result of introducing the new Fiat 500e than an actual increase in demand.
Fiat, sales data for 2024 revealed in the United States
The Fiat 500, which was the brand’s flagship model, has been out of production in the United States since 2019, and although the return of the 500e was met with optimism, the reality is quite different. In 2024, Fiat sold only 970 units of the 500e, a number that appears far from the success the brand achieved a decade ago when the gasoline-powered 500 exceeded 40,000 annual sales.
Despite the minor success of the 500e, Fiat remains a marginal presence within Stellantis’ portfolio in the United States. To give perspective, in 2024 Jeep sold 587,725 vehicles, while Ram sold 439,039. Fiat’s market share is essentially reduced to a rounding figure.
Further complicating the situation is the fluctuating nature of 500e production, which is assembled at the Mirafiori plant in Italy. Production was halted several times in 2024 due to sales falling below expectations, and recently Stellantis extended the plant’s closure. Even after attempts to improve the 500e, the electric vehicle market remained extremely competitive, and the Fiat 500e struggles to differentiate itself from its rivals, both in terms of range and price.
Even outside the United States, Fiat‘s situation isn’t rosy. Sales of the 500e have been lukewarm in Europe, where the affordable electric vehicle market is particularly competitive. Stellantis has nevertheless decided to invest another $110 million in developing the 500e, including a hybrid version, an investment that appears increasingly risky given the brand’s difficulty in gaining ground. Fiat remains a much-loved brand in Italy, where it is synonymous with urban mobility, but outside European borders, its relevance is diminishing, except for Brazil, one of the main markets for the Italian automaker.
So why all this fanfare about Fiat‘s increased sales in the United States? It’s a classic example of how percentages can be used to distort reality. A 154% increase from a base of just 605 units sounds impressive. In reality, it doesn’t change much that Fiat sells a fraction of what it once did.