Despite now being a decade old, sales of the Fiat 500 city car are still rising, new data from sales analysts JATO has revealed. Last month, it was the 11th best selling car throughout Europe, thanks to a whopping 22 percent increase in sales across the continent.
Indeed, the 500 was only just beaten by the Vauxhall Corsa in monthly sales – and Vauxhall’s supermini is fading fast, with a 15 percent decline in July. It’s unlikely Fiat will be able to turn around a 30,000-car annual deficit by the end of 2017, but its success is nevertheless impressive.
Fiat isn’t even distress-selling the 500: September new car offers for the model are decent value, but not as generous as some other manufacturers. The headline deal is a 4.9 percent PCP finance deal, with a up to £1625 from Fiat towards the deposit.
For example, on the popular 1.2 Lounge, Fiat will give £1250 towards the deposit, with the customer adding in £795. Then it’s £179 a month for four years, with a final payment of £4300, or a fresh PCP on a new Fiat: maybe even, by then, an all-new 500.
However, the latest sales data from JATO shows that the 500’s five-door city car sister model, the Panda, is beginning to slip. It was the biggest loser in the city car sales segment last month, with a 13 percent decline, which means year-to-date sales gains have dropped into negative figures.
Fiat will be hoping a particularly sharp September offer may turn this around in the UK: the 1.2 Pop is offered with a hefty £2206 saving – taking the price down to just £7199. On a 6.9 percent APR PCP, that equals just £119 a month for four years, after paying a £559 deposit. Enough to give Panda sales an end-of-year lift?
Gallery: Fiat 500 turns 60
