Argentina Auto Sales in 2018 collapsed – down 11.5% – after the great performance registered of previous year. Volkswagen was the market leader, while Toyota managed the first 1-2 ever with the Hilux and the Etios.
Economic Environment
The Argentine economy is expected to have remained in recession in the third quarter, battered by the turmoil in financial markets and a sharp depreciation of the peso. In the fourth quarter, economic weakness likely persisted although macroeconomic rebalancing continued: Consumer confidence was deep in negative territory in October-November, while the trade balance recorded the second consecutive surplus in October.
The economy will likely remain stuck in recession next year, although the contraction should soften. Strong, albeit moderating, inflationary pressures and rising taxes will eat into consumers’ pockets, while high interest rates and shrinking public investment will weigh on fixed investment. That said, the trade balance is set to swing from deficit to surplus, thanks to higher agricultural exports and lower imports, while the fiscal deficit ought to narrow.
Market Trend
Argentina vehicles market in the last decades surfed on waves with sudden falls followed by sharp recovery. Actually the trend is moving up while it is too early to affirm the market is changed and no others deep crisis will arrive. The current record was established in the 2013 with 923.000 sales, before to fall down at 620.000 in the 2015 and start the recovery.
The current rapid expansion is driven by the implementation of the new National Automotive Plan, sponsored by the Prime Minister, called One Million Plan, aiming to double sector employment in 5 years booming export and domestic demand. The market use to have sharp fall and increase. The all time record was hit in the 2013, before to rapidly decline at 620.000 two years later. The election of Macri’s government, while changed the economic policy, gave new expectations and then boost to the sector, which kept momentum to grow both in 2016 and 2017. Indeed, according to the data released by the ACARA and the ADEFA, in the 2017 the market hit the second best results ever, with 892.739 sales (+29.8%).
In the 2018 the market has been disappointing, as sales dropped by 11.5% closing the year at 789.820. Two distinctive events have marked this negative year: the boom in sales registered in May, with an all-time-record, and the negative trend of following months in a precarious economic environment. Thus, after the great performance of the 2017, the decline will most likely continue during the next year.
| Sales 2014 | Sales 2015 | Sales 2016 | Sales 2017 | Sales 2018 | '+/- 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 684.312 | 620.236 | 687.900 | 892.739 | 789.820 | -11,5% |
Competitive Arena
At brand-wise, Volkswagen is the 2018 market leader, keeping the crown for the entire year despite falling down 17.7%, ending with 119.006 sales.
In second place Renault with 107.235 units (-6.8%) which has overtaken the Chevrolet, in third position, with 101.142 (-17.7%).
In fourth place Ford with 96.116 (-16.1%), followed by Toyota with 91.783 units (+0.9%), Fiat with 82.619 units (-12.4%), Peugeot with 61.168 (-15.5%), Citroen with 27.604 (-13.8%), Nissan with 21.955 (+34.1%) and in 10 place Mercedes with 14.631 (-18.9%).
As far as the model ranking, the battle on top of the list has finished with the Toyota Hilux, leader of the market for the 2nd time in three years with 33.439 sales (-1.4%), few units ahead of the Toyota Etios with 32.008 (-1.6%) and the Chevrolet Onix with 30.370 (+8.6%).
Tables with sales figures
In the tables below we report sales for all brands and Top 30 models.
