Brazil Full Year 2019: Chevrolet and Onix #1, Renault up to record #4, Jeep, Chery shine in strongest market since 2014 (+7.8%)

The Chevrolet Onix reaches record share and volume in 2019.

Discover Brazilian Historical Data spanning over 65 years here.

The Brazilian new light vehicle market continues its recovery, with 2019 marking a third straight year of significant gains at +7.6%, equivalent to nearly 200.000 additional annual sales to 2.658.927, the largest volume since 2014, although we are still a long way off the record 3.63 million sales from 2012. Chevrolet (+9.5%) manages a 4th consecutive year in the brands pole position, improving its share to 17.9%, even delivering its first 1-2 models in at least 35 years in September (Onix-Prisma) and December (Onix-Onix Plus). However the next three best-sellers advance even faster: Volkswagen (+12.6%), Fiat (+12.4%) and Renault (+11.3%) all easily beat the market, the latter French carmaker reaching its highest ever annual ranking (#4) and share (9%) in Brazil. This is a significant milestone for Renault whose ranking record was stuck at #5 since at least the early 2000s if not earlier (no brands data available before 2002).

Jeep broke its monthly volume record 6 times in 2019.

Jeep (+21.1%) is the biggest gainer in the Top 10, reaching a record #8. It broke its all-time volume record no less than 6 times in 2019 including 5 consecutive months from March (10.677) to July (12.006), ultimately lifting its best mark to 12.433 in October. Additionally, Jeep posted its 9 largest ever monthly volumes in 2019, all beating the brand’s previous all-time record of 10.304 established in August 2018, now relegated to #10 best score. Citroen (+30.4%), Volvo (+15.8%) and BMW (+15.6%) also shine in the Top 20, but none as much as Chery (+133.6%) up to #14 with over 20.000 sales, securing the third largest annual volume by a Chinese brand below JAC (23.747 in 2011) and itself (21.682 in 2011). In September, Chery broke the all-time monthly ranking record for a Chinese brand at #12 and in October it lodged the largest monthly volume for a Chinese carmaker in almost 8 years – since JAC with 2.402 in  December 2011 – the all-time record remaining in its hands though (3.281 in August 2011).

The Chevrolet Onix Plus already ranks #2 in Brazil in December.

Thanks to a new generation, the Chevrolet Onix (+14.6%) tightens its grip over the Brazilian models ranking even further to reach 9.1% share and over 240.000 sales, both records, also breaking its monthly record at 22.396 in August. The Onix is on an incredible streak of 53 consecutive months at #1, with no interruption since August 2015. The gap over its followers has never been so wide: it sold 2.31x the #2, the Ford Ka (+1%) vs. 1.99x in 2018. Along with the Ka, the Hyundai HB20 (-3.7%) can’t match the market growth and are now at the mercy of the Renault Kwid (+26.4%) posting a fantastic year at #4 overall. An even more serious competitor to the Onix could actually be the Chevrolet Onix Plus, its new generation sedan variant replacing the Prisma and shooting up to #2 and 9.989 sales as early as for its 4th month in market. The Jeep Renegade (+48.3%), Fiat Argo (+25.4%) and Strada (+13.4%) also outpace the market in the remainder of the Top 10, with the VW T-Cross the most popular 2019 launch at #25, peaking at #8 in December.

Previous month: Brazil November 2019: Fiat (+21.6%), Jeep (+29.2%), Chery (+71.4%) pull market into positive at +4.4%

Previous year: Brazil 2018: Chevrolet Onix crosses 200.000 sales mark in recovering market (+13.7%)

Two years ago: Brazil 2017: Chevrolet Onix threepeats in market back up 9.4%

Full Year 2019 Top 20 brands and Top 150 models vs. Full Year 2018 figures below.

Full December 2019 Top 20 brands and Top 150 models below.