Stellantis has been going through very difficult months lately. The decline in sales and profits in the first six months of 2024 has caused strong discontent among shareholders and beyond. Due to these performances, the automotive group has announced a series of layoffs in the United States and the postponement of the reopening of the Belvidere plant. The news, obviously, was not taken well by the UAW union, which now threatens strikes starting from October.
Moreover, Carlos Tavares’ recent statements about the possibility of closing or selling some brands due to poor sales have triggered a strong reaction. In particular, the great-grandson of Chrysler‘s founder expressed his outrage, going as far as directly asking the Portuguese manager to sell the Chrysler brand. Just as in the United States, the situation for the Group is also very difficult in Europe.
Stellantis: August 2024 to forget for the automotive group, sales in Italy collapsed
August 2024 was a complete disaster for Stellantis in Italy, one of its “local” markets, also due to the fact that most dealerships close for holidays. However, the difference compared to 2023 is enormous. Stellantis recorded a 32.34% decrease, with 17,228 registrations compared to 25,464 in 2023. All the group’s brands recorded negative numbers last month.
Specifically, Alfa Romeo sold 785 units (-25.02%), Citroen 1,281 units (-60.02%), DS 176 units (-45.68%), Fiat 4,756 units (-44.35%), Jeep 3,139 units (-7.16%), Lancia 1,362 units (-45.30%), Maserati only 69 units (-51.41%), Opel 2,012 units (-18.54%), and Peugeot 3,648 units (-5.47%). Since the beginning of the year, Stellantis has sold 337,018 vehicles, down from 345,430 in 2023, recording a slight decrease of 2.44%.
Among the best-selling cars of Stellantis brands, Fiat Panda leads the ranking with 3,326 units sold last month. Following are Jeep Avenger with 2,139 units and Peugeot 208 with 1,680 units, occupying the first, third, and eighth positions in the August 2024 ranking respectively. Outside the Top 10, we find Opel Corsa with 1,463 units, Lancia Ypsilon with 1,362 sales, and Peugeot 2008 with 1,091 deliveries. Fiat 600 and Alfa Romeo Tonale are in positions 38 and 39, with 515 and 492 sales respectively.
As for Alfa Romeo Junior, the new B-SUV from the Biscione has sold only 23 units so far. To compare with the main European automotive groups, the Volkswagen Group recorded a 4.47% decrease, while the Renault Group saw an 18.93% growth.