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Brazil Full Year 2017: Chevrolet Onix threepeats in market back up 9.4%

The Chevrolet Onix has been the best-selling vehicle in Brazil for three straight years.

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

Consult Brazilian Historical Data spanning the last 60 years here

After four consecutive years of freefalling that brought the market from a record 3.63 million units in 2012 to just 1.99 million in 2016, the Brazilian new light vehicle market finally catches its breath and returns to positive territory for the first time in five years with 2017 volumes up a sturdy 9.4% to 2.172.235 registrations. The dominating trifecta in the brands ranking remains unchanged on 2016 but shows very different evolutions: Chevrolet once again easily outpaces the market at +14% to sail off in the distance with a 18.1% share just as Fiat stumbles at -4% and drops two percentage points of market share to 13.4%. Volkswagen rallies back up 19% but 2016 was such a paltry year for the German manufacturer that despite this gain, it still trails Fiat by almost 20.000 units for the year. Ford rebounds up 15% to climb back up to #4, overtaking Hyundai (+2%) and Toyota (+5%), both losing share. Renault beats the market with a 11% but stays at #7 followed by Honda (+7%) while Jeep surges 49% thanks to the new Compass and passes Nissan (+29%) to #9. Suzuki (+32%) also shines while JAC (#20) and Chery (#21) now top the Chinese ladder, dislodging Lifan (#21 in 2016).

Launched in June, the Fiat Argo broke into the Brazilian monthly Top 10 in November.

The Chevrolet Onix outpaces the Brazilian market for the fifth consecutive year with a stunning 23% year-on-year gain leading to a record 188.654 sales and 8.7% share, hitting an all-time high 9.7% in January. The Onix has now been the best-selling vehicle in Brazil for three straight years, whereas the brand had not had an annual #1 in the country since 1986 and the Monza. The 2017 podium is unchanged on 2016 but the Hyundai HB20 hits the wall at -13% to 4.9% share vs. 6.1% last year, even losing its #2 spot to the Ford Ka – up 24% to 4.4% share this year – in May, October and November. After a dismal 2016 that saw it plunge to a worst-ever #9, the VW Gol rallies back up 29% to #4, but long gone are its 25 years clocked up at the year-end top spot.

The Jeep Compass is Brazil’s new best-selling SUV.

Below, the Chevrolet Prisma (+4%) is down one spot, the Renault Sandero (+7%) up one and the Toyota Corolla (+2%) down two while the Fiat Strada (-8%) manages to remain the best-selling commercial vehicle in the country at #8 after being overtaken by the Fiat Toro (#10) during the course of the year. It’s a time of change for Fiat, with age-old blockbuster nameplates such as the Palio (-69%), Siena (-25%) and Punto (-76%) being given the boot and new ones introduced: the Mobi ends its first full year in market inside the Top 10 at #9 while the Argo, launched in June, lands at #27 but broke into the monthly Top 10 in November to peak at #8 in December.

The Hyundai Creta is the most popular 2017 launch in Brazil. 

The SUV segment has a new leader: the locally-produced Jeep Compass, up 49 spots to an outstanding 11th place for its first fill year in market with just under 50.000 sales. The Honda HR-V (-14%) is knocked down two spots to #12 while the most popular all-new launch for the year, the Hyundai Creta, lands at #3 in the segment and #16 overall, cracking the Top 10 in December (#10). Other notable improvers include the VW Voyage up 57% to #17, the Nissan Kicks up 212% to #22 and the Chevrolet Cruze Sedan up 59% to #38. Among 2017 newcomers, the Renault Kwid has the most surprising landing, shooting up to an incredible 2nd place in September with 10.153 sales to then fall outside the Top 15 for the rest of the year. It finishes 2017 at #36, followed by the Honda WR-V (#43), Renault Captur (#46) and VW Polo (#57) relaunched in the country in October and already up to #11 in December.

Previous month: Brazil November 2017: VW Polo returns in market up 13.7%

Previous year: Brazil Full Year 2016: Chevrolet takes control in market down 20%

Two years ago: Brazil Full Year 2015: Onix first Chevrolet best-seller in 30 years

Full Year 2017 Top 20 brands and Top 150 models vs. Full Year 2016 figures below.

Full December 2017 Top 20 brands and Top 150 models below.

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