Brazil February 2014: Fiat Strada up to record second place!

Fiat Strada

* NOW UPDATED with the Top 150 best-selling models and Top 20 brands! *

New car sales in Brazil are back in great shape, up a very healthy 11% year-on-year in February to 245,941 registrations which brings the year-to-date total to 545,692 units, up 5% on 2013. Just below the VW Gol a little weak at 14,077 sales and 5.7%, the big event this month is the 2nd place of the Fiat Strada with 13,459 sales and 5.5% share. Yes you have read well, the Strada finished the month only 618 sales off the pole position, delivering its highest ranking, volume and share in the nameplate’s 15 year-career. The Strada reached its previous best monthly volume in August 2012 at 12,981. We will find out next month whether this was just a one-off or the start of a longer-term trend that will see both the VW Gol and Fiat Uno (down to #4) decline now that the previous generations of each models aren’t on sale anymore.

VW Up

The Fiat Palio is up one spot on January to #3 and 5.4%, itself only 784 sales off the #1 spot… Excellent return to form of the Chevrolet Onix, up 4 ranks on last month to #5 with 9,561 sales and 3.9%, its best ranking and share since March 2013, while the Ford Fiesta is down 5 spots to #8 and the Hyundai HB20 down one to #9. Its sedan sibling the Hyundai HB20S hits its best ranking and share so far at #17 with 1.6%, the Renault Logan is up a further 5 ranks to #21, the Toyota Corolla up 7 to #23 and Fiat Fiorino up 20 to #31. Finally, we welcome a new entrant inside the Brazilian Top 50 this month: the VW Up! is up a massive 75 spots on January to land at #32 with 2,115 sales and 0.9% for its first full month in market.

VW Kombi “Last Edition”

Now that production has definitely stopped, we bid farewell to the legendary VW Kombi, ranking outside the Brazilian Top 50 for potentially the first time since production of the model started here 64 years ago in 1950! It is down 30 spots on last month to #66 with 595 sales vs. #37 over the Full Year 2013. As far as Chinese models are concerned, the Lifan X60 leads the way at #92 followed by the JAC J2 at #95, Chery QQ at #102, JAC J3 at #104, Chery Celer at #109 and JAC J3 Turin at #112.

Previous month: Brazil January 2014: Facelift boosts Chevrolet Agile to #17

One year ago: Brazil February 2013: Hyundai HB20 confirms 4th position

Full February 2014 Top 150 models and Top 20 brands Ranking Tables below.