ROME – The month of January confirms the negative trend of the Italian electric car market, which dropped to 2.1% share. While the sales of “full” and “mild” hybrid cars are rising, reaching 10.5% and 27.5% of registrations respectively with a total of 54,752 units compared to 47,706 in 2023 which is equivalent to growth by +14.8%. Here then is the top ten of the category where the public’s predilection for electrified models with high wheels stands out and where the record, with three models each in the ranking, belongs to the manufacturers Toyota and Stellantis.
1. Fiat Panda – 10,305 units
On sale with a price list starting from 15,500 euros, the Lingotto best seller uses in the mild hybrid version a 70 HP three-cylinder petrol engine combined with a Belt Integrated Starter Generator (BSG) system with a small electric unit and a 12V lithium ion battery that recharges during deceleration and braking. The latter assists the car in starting and allows you to turn off the petrol engine when the speed drops below 30 km/h, putting it into neutral and proceeding in coasting mode, helping to lower consumption in the combined cycle by up to 4.8 l /100 km (data declared by the manufacturer).
2. Toyota Yaris Cross – 3,788 units
The Japanese is the queen of full hybrid crossovers and in January it was also the sixth most requested car overall in Italy. Proposed with a price list starting from 28,050 euros, it uses a 116 HP and 131 HP system available with front or all-wheel drive 4X4. This allows it, according to the data declared by the company, to reduce reference consumption by up to 4.4 liters per 100 km in the mixed cycle, as well as allowing it to travel on several stretches of road in electric mode only without releasing any CO2 emissions into the air.
3 Lancia Ypsilon – 3,397 units
The Lancia Ypsilon can also count on the same mild hybrid system as the Fiat Panda for synergies within the Stellantis group. Chosen on the model by 9 out of 10 customers, as an alternative to the 1.2 4-cylinder engine with bi-fuel petrol/LPG fuel supply, it allows the car, according to the declared data, to consume 4.9 l/100 km in the combined cycle. The price list starts from 15,600 euros and the range includes 9 bodywork configurations.
4. Ford Puma – 2,824 units
The Blue Oval mini crossover, which inherits the name from the famous 1997 sports coupé, offers the choice between three 48V mild hybrid petrol powertrains of 125, 155 and 160 HP. These use the company’s 3-cylinder 1.0 EcoBoost petrol engine as a basis and allow, according to the manufacturer’s data, limited consumption in the mixed cycle of up to 5.4 l/100 km. The price list starts at 25,250 euros and the 160 HP ST sports version offers several selectable driving modes, including Normal, Sport and Track.
5. Nissan Qashqai – 2,109 units
Reference model in the C-segment SUV market, the Nissan Qashqai offers various electrified versions. At the top of the range is the 190 HP e-Power system which combines an electric motor, the only one connected to the wheels, with a petrol engine which acts as a generator to recharge the car’s battery. Alternatively, the Japanese offers 140 and 158 HP petrol mild hybrid systems included in a price list that starts from 28,130 euros.
6. Fiat 500 – 1,859 units
The Fiat 500 uses the same system as the Panda and Lancia Ypsilon in the mild hybrid version. Available in sedan and cabrio body variants, on sale with prices starting from 17,700 euros and 20,200 euros, the Turin small car boasts, according to the declared data, reduced consumption in the mixed cycle of up to 4.6 l/100 km, in addition to more than satisfactory performance for the category with acceleration from 0 to 100 in 13.8 seconds and a top speed of 167 km/h.
7. Toyota Yaris – 1,636 units
The Japanese sedan is among the few full hybrids in the compact city segment. It features the same front-wheel drive powertrain used on its high-wheeled sister “Cross” and in the more powerful 130 HP GR Sport version it offers spirited performance with a sprint from 0 to 100 in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 175 km/h . According to the manufacturer, this guarantees limited consumption in the mixed cycle of up to 4.2 l/100 km. For her, prices start from 24,100 euros.
8. Kia Sportage – 1,565 units
The medium South Korean SUV, on sale in the electrified variants with a base price of 32,400 euros, is the only one in the top ten to offer a mild hybrid diesel system with a power of 136 HP and which covers 100 km in the mixed cycle with 4.8 liters (house data). In addition to this, a 150 HP petrol mild hybrid and a 230 HP petrol full hybrid are available for the model. All engines, with the exception of the 150 HP engine, can be combined with front or all-wheel drive 4X4.
9. Toyota C-HR – 1,274 units
The Toyota C-HR is the model that introduced hybrid crossovers to the market in 2016. It offers two full hybrid petrol versions with a price list starting from 35,700. The top model with 197 HP, also available with 4X4 traction and offered at the top of the range in the GR sports trim, promises to travel up to 100 km on 4.8 liters of petrol. While the 140 HP “entry level” variant claims an average consumption of 4.7 l/100 km.
10. Suzuki Vitara – 1,080 units
For the Japanese, which boasts over 27 years of honorable career in the various generations, there are two electrified petrol engines available, also offered with 4X4 all-wheel drive: namely a 129 HP mild hybrid system and a 114 HP full hybrid. The latter is capable, according to the data declared, of traveling 100 km with 5.4 liters of fuel. Prices start from 24,900 euros.