The Italian car market closed the month of September with a positive result: 142,136 registrations, up 13.39 percent year on year. In the first nine months of the year 1,467,668 cars were sold, down 1.61 percent compared to the same period last year. The data is from the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and has been published by the National Association of Automotive Industry (ANFIA).
Paolo Scudieri, president of ANFIA, stated, "In September, the car market has returned to growth, showing the first positive sign after last April (+1.5%), also thanks to one more working day. This result also benefited from the comparison with a particularly low volume in September 2018 (-25.4%), which had followed a peak in registrations in the summer months (August at +9.5%). In fact, since the application of the new emissions test (WLTP) to all new cars registered since September 1, 2018, there was an anticipation of the purchase of pre-WLTP cars, which were offered in August at competitive prices."
Also, according to Gian Primo Quagliano, president of Centro Studi Promotor, which specializes in automotive market research, the positive result should not mislead since the comparison is made with a particularly weak September 2018.
In September, sales of diesel cars registered a 13 percent drop and represented a 36.4 percent share, the lowest since June 2001. In the first nine months of the year, the decline was 24 percent. Sales of petrol cars, on the other hand, increased by 30 percent, representing 45 percent of the market. Sales of hybrids and electric cars saw a 48 percent increase in September, with a record 8.6 percent share of the market.