Sales rose for Stellantis in Europe in the first six months of the year, supported by the arrival of new models in the second quarter but also, as in the case of the Italian market, by the introduction of purchase incentives.

The increase in sales volumes in the period, a note said, was 0.9 percent on the perimeter of the automotive group's 29 main European markets.

Market share stood at 18.2 percent.

In the first quarter of this year, Stellantis, which was formed at the beginning of 2021 from the merger between Fiat Chrysler and France's Psa, had reported a 6 percent drop in deliveries within its 'enlarged Europe' region, mainly related to the need to reduce inventories in preparation for the launch of new models.

The company had pointed in April to the Citroen e-C3 and Peugeot e-3008 as new models that, starting in the second quarter, would support the sales revival.

The manufacturer, which will release full first-half figures on July 25, also benefited from the performance of the Jeep Avenger, "the best-selling SUV in Italy."

In total, Stellantis plans to launch 25 new models globally in 2024.

On the electric car (BEV) front, the group's European market share stood at 13.3 percent in the first half, with volumes up more than 48 percent in France.

In June, BEV sales grew by 19% in Italy, thanks to the arrival of incentives, and by 16% in the UK.

(Giulio Piovaccari, editing Stefano Bernabei)