Brazil 1st Half 2015: Fiat Palio #1, models ranking turned upside down

The new model sees Ford Ka sales rocket up 14-fold year-on-year in Brazil.

* See the Top 20 best-selling brands and Top 150 models by clicking on the title *

Things are definitely taking the wrong turn in Brazil: one year ago, the new car market was disturbed by the Soccer World Cup at -7%, this year the fall has aggravated to -20% and 1.269.853 registrations. Intense fragmentation is happening before our eyes in Brazil, with the Top 3 manufacturers all losing even more ground than the market albeit staying in the same order: Fiat (-31%), Chevrolet (-27%) and Volkswagen (-29%) all lose roughly 2 percentage of market share each in the space of a year. Reversely, Ford (-6%) goes from 9.1% a year ago to 10.6%, Hyundai (-8%) overtakes Renault (-19%) to graduate to 5th place and goes from 6.9% to 7.9% share, but the best is yet to come…

The locally-produced HR-V lifts Honda up 19% so far in 2015.

Toyota gains 3% to see its share fly from 5.4% to 6.8% and Honda surges 19% to rocket up from 3.9% to 5.8% – mainly thanks to the all-new HR-V, locally produced and already the best-selling SUV in the country in May and June, #23 in H1 2015 only 274 units below the Ford Ecosport. Outside the Top 10 brands, if Citroen (-46%) and Peugeot (-43%) implode, Mercedes is up a stunning 35%, Jeep is up 4-fold to #15 (#11 in May and June) thanks to the arrival of the Renegade – the first Jeep produced in Brazil – landing at #48 over the period, Audi is up 27% and BMW up 2%.

The Chevrolet Onix and Hyundai HB20 both fit within Brazil’s Top 4.

One year ago, the Fiat Palio made a splash by ranking #1 in the Brazilian monthly sales charts for the first time in 7 years. How things have changed since… After ending 19 consecutive years of VW Gol reign and topping the annual ranking for the very first time in 2014, the Palio is now solidly installed in its throne despite sales down 24%, and the entire models ranking is turned upside down. The Chevrolet Onix is up two spots to #2, the Hyundai HB20 up 3 to #4, the Ford Ka is boosted by the new model up 14-fold and 71 spots to a best-ever 5th place, the VW Gol – shock, horror! – loses more than half its sales in one year to stumble from #1 and 5.9% share to #6 and 3.5%.

The Peugeot 2008 is one of six all-new nameplates inside the Brazilian Top 100.

Further down, the Toyota Corolla is up 4 ranks and 27% to #13, the VW Up is up 6 and 21% to #14 and the Honda Fit is up 16% to #17. There are six all-new nameplates inside the Top 100 over the First Half of 2015 in Brazil, led by the Ford Ka Sedan landing directly at #21 with 17.941 sales, ahead of the Honda HR-V at #23 (but peaking at #12 both in May and June), the Jeep Renegade at #48 (#22 in June), Fiat Weekend at #51, Mercedes GLA at #82 and Peugeot 2008 at #83.

Previous post: Brazil June 2015: Fiat Palio #1, Jeep Renegade approaches Top 20

Q1 2015 update: Brazil 1st Quarter 2015: Once-in-a-decade market shifts occurring

Full Year 2014 update: Brazil Full Year 2014: Fiat Palio ends 19 years of VW Gol reign

One year ago: Brazil June 2014: Fiat Palio tops charts for the first time in 7 years

Full H1 2015 Top 20 brands and Top 150 models below.