Chile Full Year 2018: Chevrolet reclaims #1 spot, Mitsubishi L200 stays best-seller, Chinese up 45% in record market

Chevrolet is the best-selling carmaker in Chile for the first time since 2015.

Consult over 15 years of Chile Historical Data here.

New light vehicle sales in Chile soar 15.6% year-on-year in 2018 to post a second consecutive double-digit gain and a new all-time record volume at 417.038 units, eclipsing the previous 2013 high mark of 378.240. SUVs are the main engine of growth in Chile this year with a 27.1% gain to 148.070 units and 35.5% share vs. 32.3% a year ago, passenger cars up just 8.4% to 165.828 and 39.8% share vs. 42.4% in 2017, trucks up 13.9% to 65,873 and commercials up 11.1% to 37.267. Chevrolet (+11.7%) reclaims the title of #1 carmaker in Chile for the first time since 2015 despite seeing its share drop to 8.7%, folloed by Suzuki (+22.6%) surging up two spots to #2 and the leader of 2017, Hyundai (-1.3%) down two to #3.

In the remainder of the Top 10, only Volkswagen (+35.5%) and Mazda (+25%) outpace the market to improve their share, with Toyota (+11.4%), Peugeot (+10.6%), Kia (+7.7%), Ford (+7%) and Nissan (+6.4%) all evolving at slightly lower shares than in 2017. Opel (+213.3%), Maxus (+123.8%), the Chrysler Group (+93%), Changan (+91.3%), MG (+78.1%), Dongfeng (+61.9%), ZNA (+57.6%), Lifan (+50.8%), Foton (+38.3%), JAC (+36%) now the #1 Chinese brand in Chile, Skoda (+31.5%), Chery (+28.5%) and Brilliance (+25.8%) post some of the greatest gains in the remainder of the brands Top 50. Overall, Chinese manufacturers soar 44.9% to 12.9% share vs. 10.3% in 2017.

Over in the models ranking, the Mitsubishi L200 (+8.4%) holds onto the overall lead but sees its share thaw to 2.5%, distancing the Chevrolet Sail (+9.1%) up one spot on 2017 and the Kia Rio (+23.3%) up four. The Kia Morning (+5.9%) edges past the Toyota Hilux (-4.1%) whereas the Hyundai Accent (-16.4%) tumbles down four spots to #6 and both the Toyota Yaris (+22.8%) and RAV4 (+10%) also shine in the Top 10. The Suzuki Baleno makes its entrance at #12, with the Hyundai Tucson (+40.1%), Nissan Kicks (+35.5%), Mazda CX-5 (+34.2%) and Kia Sportage (+16.9%) also breaking into the 2018 Top 20. Notice also the Chery Tiggo 2 at #23 and the Peugeot 3008 at #25.

Previous month: Chile November 2018: Chevrolet (+23%) cements lead, first market decline in 2.5 years

Previous year: Chile 2017: Hyundai, Mitsubishi L200 top market up 18.1%

Two years ago: Chile 2016: Chevrolet Sail resumes domination, Hyundai #1 brand

Full Year 2018 Top 50 brands and Top 25 models vs. Full Year 2017 figures below.

Full December 2018 Top 30 brands ranking below.