Mexico Full Year 2018: Nissan Versa challenged by Chevrolet Aveo, Kia breaks records again

The Nissan Versa is the best-selling vehicle in Mexico for the third year in a row.

Consult close to 30 years of Mexican Historical Data here.

If 2017 was the year Mexican sales suddenly switched from record-breaking growth to steep fall, 2018 was in negative all through, with December marking the 20th consecutive month of year-on-year decline. Overall, annual sales drop 7.1% to 1.421.608, yet still recording the market’s third largest annual volume in history below 2016 (1.603.777) and 2017 (1.530.624). Even though it is still comfortably in the lead over the Full Year – the only market in the world where so – Nissan (-14.4%) is in trouble: it dropped by double-digits every month of the year bar January and falls twice faster than the market annually. Its advantage over Chevrolet (-8.4%) thawed to just 1.600 units in December.

After ranking #1 during 4 of the last 5 months of 2018, the Chevrolet Aveo appears ideally placed for a 2019 win.

Volkswagen (-18.5%) is also in dire straits but remains in third place above Toyota (+3.1%) while Kia (+8.7%) lodges another record year and manages to oust Honda (-5%) from the Top 5. Kia broke its all-time monthly volume record twice this year, in October and November. Hyundai (+7.5%) and Mazda (+7.3%) also swim upstream but remain at #8 and #9 respectively while Renault (-8%) breaks into the Top 10 as it falls slower than Dodge (-23.5%). Land Rover (+190.5%), Jaguar (+101.8%), Lamborghini (+44.4%), Suzuki (+37%), Volvo (+36.9%), Lincoln (+21%), BMW (+18.1%), Mercedes (+16%) and Ferrari (+12.1%) also make an excellent impression further down.

BAIC is the first Chinese manufacturer to officially report sales in Mexico.

One notable event in 2018 is the official arrival of Chinese carmakers in Mexico, with BAIC becoming the first Chinese manufacturer to ever appear in the Mexican sales charts. Two years after establishing itself in the country (June 2016), and over one year after starting final assembly in Puente Nacional, Veracruz (May 2017) in association with AT Motors with an annual capacity of 6.000 vehicles, BAIC indeed finally appears in the ranking in June 2018. It had failed to officially report sales data until then. BAIC ends 2018 at #27 just above 2.000 sales, below Acura and Infiniti but above Volvo, Lincoln and Isuzu.

The Honda BR-V is the most popular 2018 launch in Mexico.

Over in the models ranking, the Nissan Versa (-2.3%) posts a third consecutive year in pole position but only led during 7 months whereas the Chevrolet Aveo (+24.7%) was in charge 4 times during the last 5 months of the year including from October to December and is ideally positioned for a 2019 win. The Chevrolet Beat (+75.7%) ends its first full year in market at a splendid third place overall and led the market overall in April. As a result the Nissan Pickup (-11.3%), VW Vento (-11.5%) and Nissan March (-1.2%) all slide down the ranking. In the remainder of the Top 10, the VW Jetta (-23.5%), Honda CR-V (-14.8%) and Nissan Sentra (-14.7%) are in difficulty but the Kia Rio (+13.1%) edges up one spot to #9. Other great performers include the Chevrolet Cavalier (+291.1%) breaking into the Top 10 in April, the Mazda2 (+180%), Hyundai Accent (+85.3%), Toyota Prius (+56.4%), Suzuki Swift (+50%) and VW Tiguan (+43.9%). The most popular 2018 launch is the Honda BR-V (#51) followed by the Toyota C-HR (#81) and Renault Oroch (#90).

Previous month: Mexico November 2018: Chevrolet Aveo confirms #1 spot, Kia Rio breaks volume record in 19th straight market decline

Previous year: Mexico 2017: Kia and Hyundai break records, Nissan Versa #1

Two years ago: Mexico 2016: Record market pounces up 18.6% above 1.6m units

Full Year 2018 Top 40 All-brands and Top 330 All-models vs. Full Year 2017 figures below.

Full December 2018 Top 40 All-brands and Top 290 All-models below.