Brazil November 2015: Chevrolet Onix closes in on first annual win

The Chevrolet Onix overtakes the Fiat Palio to rank #1 year-to-date in Brazil.

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

No recovery in sight for the Brazilian new car market: things are even getting worse with November down an abysmal 32% year-on-year to 189.358 registrations compared to -24% and 2.256.267 year-to-date. Chevrolet posts a second consecutive month atop the brands ranking despite sales tumbling down 40% to 30.669. That’s still a better hold than #2 Fiat (-45%) and #3 Volkswagen (-43%). Ford (-32%) evolves just as poorly as the market but reclaims the #4 spot off Hyundai (-22%) with Renault (-25%) and Toyota (-27%) also gaining market share. None more so than Jeep though, graduating from a tiny presence a year ago (390 sales) to blockbuster status at #9 and a record 6.193 sales and 3.3% share, all this thanks to the local production kick start of the Jeep Renegade, accounting for 98% of the brand’s sales in Brazil this month and gaining one further spot to a record 9th place overall.

Jeep is now a regular Top 10 best-seller in Brazil thanks to the Renegade (#9).

There are four other manufacturers going against the grain and positive positive results in Brazil this month. Honda, notably thanks to the locally-assembled HR-V (#10 in November), is up 6% to tickle fellow Japanese carmaer Toyota at #8 with 13.256 sales and 7% share vs. 13.440 and 7.1%. BMW is up a flamboyant 30% to #14 and 1.634 units while Audi gains an even more impressive 33% to 1.382 units, both manufacturers overtaking archenemy Mercedes, down an uncharacteristic 17% to 1.326 sales. Year-to-date though, Mercedes still leads the way (+31%) followed by Audi (+36%) and BMW (+6%). Finally Land Rover is also in great shape this month with sales up 16% on a year ago to 741.

The Chevrolet Prisma is stuck at a record 5th place in Brazil.

The models ranking is the theatre of a historic move: thanks to sales down just 17% to 11.991 and 6.3% share, the Chevrolet Onix posts a 4th consecutive month atop the Brazilian sales charts – whereas it had never achieved this feat before last August – and most importantly overtakes the Fiat Palio year-to-date to take the lead at 110.845 sales vs. 109.454. This is the first time in almost 30 years than a Chevrolet is #1 year-to-date in Brazil: since 1986 when the Monza ended the year on top. The Brazilian models ranking has indeed gone into a frenzy since more drastic anti-pollution laws got implemented in January 2014. The Fiat Palio ended almost 20 consecutive years of VW Gol reign last year but it looks like this new leadership will be short-lived. In the Onix’ shadow, the Hyundai HB20 drops just 1% on November 2014 to also frankly outsell the Fiat Palio at 10.583 units and 5.6% vs. 9.241 and 4.9%.

First Brazilian Top 40 ranking for the Renault Oroch.

While the Ford Ka is back up three spots on October to #4, the Chevrolet Prisma (an Onix sedan) is stuck at a record 5th place with deliveries down 15% to 6.535 and 3.5%. All the aforementioned cars outsell the once-unbeatable leader, the VW Gol down 47% to #6. Very impressive climb for the Renault Oroch – the pickup variant of the Duster – up 47 spots on last month to brilliantly land inside the Top 40 at #39 and 1.232 sales vs. 2.741 (-38%) for the Duster. Finally, the Peugeot 2008 breaks into the Brazilian Top 50 for the first time, up 6 ranks on last month to #49.

Previous month: Brazil October 2015: Chevrolet takes lead, Onix still in pole position

One year ago: Brazil November 2014: Fiat Palio achieves the impossible

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