Brazil Vehicles Market in 2018 grew 13.8% with 2.471.626 sales recovering for the second year in a row. The Chevrolet Onix is the best selling model pushing Chevrolet market share at 17%, ahead of Volkswagen, which overtook Fiat.
Economic Environment
The recovery regained lost momentum in the third quarter, after growth slid in the second quarter due to disruptions from the May–June truckers’ strike. Soaring investment led the acceleration, while imports also boomed due to higher imports of oil platforms under a special customs program. Incoming data for the fourth quarter suggests that the gradual growth revival continues. In October, the three-month rolling unemployment rate dropped and the manufacturing PMI rose.
Moreover, sentiment has been upbeat since Jair Bolsonaro was elected as president, due to his pro-market campaign promises and business confidence recorded the largest month-on-month gain on record in November. In recent weeks, Bolsonaro has revealed details of the new administration, with several University of Chicago alumni and military men taking key roles.
The recovery is seen picking up pace next year, thanks to an improving labor market, rising credit growth and market-friendly government agenda. GDP is seen growing 2.3% in 2019, which is unchanged from last month’s forecast, and expanding 2.5% in 2020.
Market Trend
Brazilian vehicles market fell from a record of 3.6 million in the 2012, when ranked as 4th globally, below the 2 million in the 2016 with a vertical unprecedented and unexpected fall, originated by the awful National Automotive Plan issued in the 2013 added by economic, social and political crisis. Having bottomed out in the Q1 2017, the market has just approached a new positive path. According to data reported by the Anfavea, the Brazilian Association of Car Manufacturers, despite still bad news from the political, economic and social landscape, in the 2017 light vehicles market improved 9.2% at 2.172.452 sales.
In the 2018, the market has fully recovered. The recovery of past year, have been confirmed with a growth of 13.8% this year, ending with 2.471.626 sales. Indeed, even if we are still far from the 2012 record, the market has even improved from last year, erasing the previous three years of decline.
| Sales 2014 | Sales 2015 | Sales 2016 | Sales 2017 | Sales 2018 | '+/- 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.328.352 | 2.477.284 | 1.989.223 | 2.172.591 | 2.471.626 | 13,8% |
Competitive Arena
Three brands has always dominated the scene, Volkswagen, Fiat and Chevrolet. However while the first two have lost steam in recent years, Chevrolet has taken the leadership since 2016 with a safe gap over all others.
Indeed the 2018 market leader is Chevrolet selling 434.364 vehicles (+10.2%) with 17.6% of market share.
In second place Volkswagen with 368.200 with an astonishing +35.3%, overtaking Fiat, third with 325.726 (+11.8%).
In fourth place Ford with 226.437 units (+9.5%) followed by Renault with 214.914 (+28.7%), Hyundai with 206.667 (+2.3%), Toyota with 200.116 (+5.3%), Honda with 131.592 units (+0.4%), Jeep with 106.945 (+21.3%) and in 10th place Nissan with 97.505 (+23.7%).
At model wise, the best-selling model is the Chevrolet Onix with 210.458 units (+11.6%) followed by the Hyundai HB20 with 105.506 and the Ford Ka with 103.286 (+8.8%).
Tables with sales figures
In the tables below we report sales for all brands, top 10 Manufacturers and top 10 Models.
