Italy: Lancia on track for 6% global sales rise in 2007; 150,000upa target for 2008
Friday, December 07, 2007, AutomotiveWorld.com
Lancia expects its sales to increase by 20% to 150,000 units in 2008 thanks to the forthcoming Delta HPE and revisions to existing models, Italiaspeed.com reports, citing the brand's chief executive, Olivier Francois.
For 2007, Francois expects sales to reach 124,000 units, an increase of 6% compared with the previous year.
The Delta HPE, a long wheelbase version of the Fiat Bravo, will compete in the C/D-segment. The five-door hatchback was unveiled as a concept at the 2006 Paris show. The car is scheduled to go on sale in left-hand drive European markets in July 2008.
The OEM expects to produce 60,000 units of the Delta at its Cassino plant in Italy in 2008. More than 40% of this output, around 25,000 units, is expected to be exported. A version for right-hand drive markets and an all-wheel drive variant will be built as well.
In the 1 January-30 November period of 2007, domestic sales for the division reached 98,307 units, an increase of 5.68% compared with the corresponding period of 2006, according to Italiaspeed.com.
The recently facelifted Musa small minivan has led the sales rise. Since it reached dealers in October, the OEM has secured orders for 6,000 units, the report says. Lancia expects Musa sales to reach 40,000 units for the full year.
Francois has announced that a revised version of the Phedra minivan will be released in 2008. Fiat Group also plans to relaunch Lancia in certain markets that include the UK, Japan and Scandinavia next year.
Published on Friday, December 07, 2007
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