skip to Main Content

Brazil August 2015: Chevrolet Onix takes the lead for the first time

Chevrolet Onix Brazil January 2015The Chevrolet Onix is the best-selling model in Brazil for the first time in history.

* See the Top 20 best-selling brands and Top 130 models by clicking on the title *

No sign of recovery for the Brazilian new car market: down another depressing 23% year-on-year in August to 199.853 registrations, which brings the year-to-date total to 1.689.074 units, down 20% or 432.000 units on the same period in 2014. As it has been the case since the beginning of the year, the “Big 3” all fall faster than the market: Fiat is down 36%, Volkswagen down 41% and Chevrolet down 31%. Ford (-8%), Hyundai (-9%) and Toyota (-11%) all improve their market share despite declining sales while Honda gains 18% thanks to the new HR-V. Jeep goes from oblivion (291 sales in August 2014) to blockbuster (a record 4.786 deliveries this month) thanks to the locally-assembled Renegade. Audi leads the German luxury charge with sales more than doubling vs. a year ago at +119% while Mercedes gains 43% and BMW marks a pause at +1%. Chery (-35%) is now #1 Chinese carmaker year-to-date above JAC (-39%) and Lifan (-20%).

Chevrolet Monza Brazil 1987. Picture courtesy descalvadoagora.com.brThe last Chevrolet to top the Brazilian monthly charts was the Monza in 1987.

We witness a history first in the Brazilian models ranking this month: the Chevrolet Onix snaps the top spot away from the Fiat Palio for the first time ever thanks to deliveries up 7% year-on-year to 10.998 and 5.5% share vs. 9.259 and 4.6% (-35%) for the Palio. This splendid achievement comes almost three years after its launch (November 2012), less than one year after achieving its goal by outselling the VW Gol (September 2014), and 5 months after becoming the best-selling passenger car in the country for the first time (March 2015). The performance of the Onix in recent month needs to be linked with the discontinuation of the bargain-basement priced Celta (-89%), with sales reporting to the Onix as a result. To register the significance of the Chevrolet Onix’s accession to the Brazilian pole position, let’s remember that the last time a Chevrolet topped the Brazil sales charts was almost 30 years ago – in 1987 with the Chevrolet Monza.

Honda HR-V Brazil August 2015. Picture courtesy carplace.uol.com.brThe Honda HR-V is on the verge of breaking into the Brazilian Top 10.

The Hyundai HB20 remains extremely solid in third place with sales up 1%, resulting in a market share up from 3.5% in August 2014 to 4.6% today and distancing the Fiat Strada (-31%) and Uno (-36%). The Ford Ka is down two spots on July to a still very satisfying 6th spot with 6.810 sales – up 20-fold on the previous generation a year ago but cannibalising the Fiesta hatch (-61%) – while the Renault Sandero takes advantage of the new model to climb one rank to #7 with a year-on-year drop limited to 8%. Volkswagen’s best-seller in Brazil, the Fox, points its bonnet at a paltry 8th place and at #9 the Gol beats another sad record this month: it hits the lowest monthly ranking of its 35 year-career (the Gol launched in Brazil in 1980) with sales down a catastrophic 59% year-on-year.

Jeep Renegade Brazil August 2015. Picture courtesy carplace.uol.com.brThanks to the Renegade, Jeep sales in Brazil go from 291 a year ago to 4.986.

The Toyota Corolla remains one of the 10 most popular vehicles in the country and just outside the Top 10, the locally-assembled Honda HR-V breaks its ranking and volume records at #11 and 5.435 sales, while the Jeep Renegade does exactly the same and breaks into the Brazilian Top 15 for the first time at #15 and 4.598 units. Notice also the Ford Ka Sedan down 11 spots on July to #27, the Nissan Versa up 46% to #31, the Audi Q3 up 180% to #51, the Peugeot 2008 up a further four spots to #57, the Audi A3 Sedan up 180% to #58, the Land Rover Discovery up 286% to #81 thanks to the new “Sport” and the Troller T4 up 161% to #94. The Lifan X60 (#88) and JAC T6 (#100) are the only two Chinese models inside the Top 100 this month.

Previous month: Brazil July 2015: Jeep Renegade teases Honda HR-V for #1 SUV

One year ago: Brazil August 2014: Fiat Palio delivers an 18-year career first

Full August 2015 Top 20 brands and Top 130 models below.

This content is for Platinum members only.
Log In Register
Back To Top