Brazil Full Year 2012: VW Gol reaches 25 years at #1, Fiat Palio #3

VW Gol

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The Brazilian new car market is up 6% year-on-year in 2012 to reach a record 3,634,421 registrations, consolidating its #4 spot worldwide below Japan and ahead of Germany. August 2012 was the biggest sales month in the history of automobile in Brazil with 405,511 registrations, the first time above 400,000 monthly units. The VW Gol lodges a third stable year of sales in a row: from 293,783 units in 2010 (8.8% share) to 293,454 in 2011 (8.6%) and 293,293 in 2012 (8.1%)… The Gol has now been the best-selling car in Brazil for 18 consecutive years, and 25 of the last 26 years with the only other model ranking #1 over the period being the Fiat Uno in 1994.

Fiat Uno

The fight for the pole position was tight at the start of the year, with the Fiat Uno reaching #1 in March and delivering its highest ever monthly volume in August at 30,373 units, the first time it broke the 30,000 monthly sales barrier in the nameplate’s 28 year-career. The Uno finished 2012 at 255,838 units, down 6% on 2011. Note the VW Gol was at a 12-year high in August with 32,632 sales, its record remaining 34,964 in August 1997.

Fiat Palio

Helped by the new generation launched in late 2011, the Fiat Palio is up 76% and 4 spots on 2011 to land on the podium for the first time since 2009 at #3 with 186,384 units and 5.1%. It peaked at 21,572 sales in August, its highest since July 2008. The Fiat Uno and Palio remain the only 2 models to have dethroned the VW Gol in the Brazilian monthly rankings in the last 10 years: the Fiat Palio did it in September 2006, October 2006 and August 2007 and Fiat Uno in February 2011, December 2011 and March 2012…

VW Fox

Another excellent performer this year is the VW Fox/CrossFox up 38% to #4 with 167,685 units and 4.6%, its best-ever year in the country. The Fox managed to beat its volume record over 3 consecutive months, bringing it to 23,318 sales in August, its first time above 20,000 and its market share record at 5.8%. Notice also the Fiat Strada hitting a record 12,981 sales in August but down 1% over the Full Year to #6, the Ford Fiesta Hatch up 32% to #7, the Fiat Siena up 15% at #8 and the Renault Sandero breaking into the year-end Brazilian Top 10 for the first time, up 20% to #10 and delivering a record 11,743 units in August.

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More commentary, Full Year 2012 Top 200 models and Top 20 brands Ranking Tables below.