Fiat saw sales of cars and LCVs in Turkey rise 40% year-on-year in April to 10,032 to give it a market-leading 19.1% share.
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Sales there have been boosted by the Turkish government’s decision to cut tax on vehicles but that concession will end on 15 June.
Fiat brand manager Okan Bas told the Anatolia News Agency that the company’s high level of local production meant it could respond more quickly to the sale surge than companies that rely on importing cars.
Bas also said that around 70% of buyers paid cash for their cars although there were signs that credit restrictions were easing and Fiat expected more people to buy with credit in coming months.
Business Monitor International forecast Turkey to see a third year of decline in 2009, with new vehicle sales dropping 9.4% to 526,000 units, the lowest level in five years.
Commercial vehicle sales would be markedly affected by a decline in fixed capital formation and a slowdown in haulage, with sales set to drop by 10.7%.
A recovery was expected from 2010, however, when sales should rebound by 9.4% to return to near-2008 levels.
