Brazil July 2014: Fiat Palio #1 again, Chevrolet Onix at Gol level

The Chevrolet Onix breaks its monthly volume record this month in Brazil.

* See the Top 160 best-selling models and Top 20 brands by clicking on the title! *

No sign of recovery for the Brazilian new car market: down another very disappointing 14% year-on-year in July to 279,815 registrations, which brings the year-to-date total to 1,862,418 units, down 8% on 2013. Brand-wise, Fiat maintains a comfortable lead with 58,783 sales and 21% share (-12%) while Chevrolet overtakes Volkswagen to rank #2 in spite of sales down 19% year-on-year to 50,197 and 17.9% vs. 17.5 (-14%) for VW. The big event in the ranking is Hyundai leaving Renault behind in 5th place at 21,476 sales and a record 7.7% share, up 16% and two full percentage points year-on-year, enabling the Korean carmaker to break into the 2014 Top 5 for the first time at 7% share vs. 6.9% for Renault. Toyota is up 7%, Land Rover up 1% and Audi up 14% while Chery is the most popular Chinese manufacturer, above JAC for the first time in 3 years at #18 overall.

Best month so far in 2014 for the Hyundai HB20.

After staying immobile for the best part of the past decade, the Brazilian models ranking continues its abrupt and drastic transformation this month. In June the Fiat Palio managed to top the sales charts for the first time in 7 years, and it stays there in July, thanks to 15,989 sales and 5.7%! This is only the 6th time ever the Palio is the best-seller in Brazil! Previous times were in November 97, September 06, October 06, August 07 and June 14 and only the 2nd time it ranks first two months in a row… In fact the Palio even widens the gap with the VW Gol (from 913 units to 1,642), which can now itself feel the Chevrolet Onix breathe on its neck. General Motors seems to finally have cracked the Brazilian equation indeed: squarely aimed at competing against the Gol, the Onix breaks its monthly volume record in July to a fantastic 14,015 units and 5% share, up 37% on July 2013 while the Gol is down a harsh 35%.

The VW Up reaches its best-ever ranking so far in Brazil this month.

If the year-to-date rankings will be hard to move so far into the year (1. Gol 2. Palio 3. Strada 4. Onix), 2015 could well be the year Chevrolet finally places a model in pole position, for the first time in 30 years – since the Chevrolet Monza topped the charts in 1986. But wait there are more interesting news in Brazil this month: the Hyundai HB20 is up one spot on June to #5 with 10,857 sales, its first time above 10,000 monthly units in 2014 and best ranking since April 2013. Notice also the Chevrolet Prisma up 39% to #9, the VW Saveiro up 3 ranks on June to #10, the VW Up… up to a best-ever #13 and the Toyota Corolla up 38% to #14 thanks to the new model.

Lifan Foison

Further down, we have 3 newcomers inside the Top 160 best-selling models this month in Brazil. The Fiat Palio Weekend has been renamed simply ‘Weekend’ and enters as such directly in 70th position with 667 sales, the Lifan Foison appears at #142 with 75 units and the Porsche Macan ranks #153 at 55 units. As far as Chinese models are concerned, as a group they are falling deeper and deeper down the ladder, with only two ambassadors inside the Top 100: the Lifan X60 at #86 (+44%) and the Chery QQ at #94 (-23%), up from #118 last month. The Chery Tiggo (#114), JAC J3 (#115), Chery Celer (#118), JAC J2 (#123) and JAC J3 Turin (#124) follow.

Previous month: Brazil June 2014: Fiat Palio tops charts for the first time in 7 years

One year ago: Brazil July 2013: Fiat Palio confirms #2 spot, Ford Fiesta further up

Full July 2014 Top 160 models and Top 20 brands Ranking Tables below.