Brazil September 2020: Fiat (+30.2%), Strada (+80.6%) score first wins in 5 years in bettering market (-10.9%)

The Fiat Strada is the best-selling vehicle in Brazil this month.

Although enduring a 7th consecutive double-digit year-on-year fall, Brazilian new vehicle sales drastically reduce their drop in September at “just” -10.9% to 198.792 units, leading to a year-to-date tally down -32.9% to 1.298.630 vs. 1.934.890 over the same period in 2019. This lesser decline seems to indicate the Brazilian market is up for recovery despite its Covid-19 sanitary situation remaining catastrophic at over 5 million total cases and just under 150.000 lives lost as of today. We have accordingly upped our 2020 forecast from 1.87 million (-30%) last month to 1.93 million (-27%) now.

Traditionally painfully quiet, the Brazilian brands ranking has been getting a serious shake over the past few months and September is now exception. Fiat (+30.2%) absolutely smashes the month with the largest year-on-year gain in the Top 16 and the only double-digit one in the Top 7, hitting 19.7% share and easily snapping the brands pole position for the first time in exactly 5 years: since September 2015. Volkswagen (-4.8%) resists in 2nd place at 17.1% share and in the process advances to the YTD top spot, toppling Chevrolet (-22.2%). Jeep (+10.9%) and Hyundai (+2.2%) buck the negative trend in the remainder of the Top 10. Chery (+18.1%) hits its record ranking (#11) for the third time after last February and March.

Model-wise, the Fiat Strada (+80.6%) echoes its brand’s performance and manages to take the overall lead for the first time in 5 and a half years (since March 2015), the third time overall (add March 2014) and the first time for this generation of the nameplate. It advances from #5 to #3 YTD as a result. The Chevrolet Onix (-44.4%) is in great difficulty at #2 but easily retains the YTD top spot at 7.1% share vs. 4.4% for the #2, the Hyundai HB20 (+19.9%). Strikingly given the current market situation, 7 of the Top 10 models post at least double-digit gains: the Chevrolet Onix Plus (+1049.6%), Tracker (+390.3%), Fiat Argo (+39.4%) and VW Gol (+33.3%). The VW Nivus becomes the most popular recent launch, up 4 spots to #22.

Previous month: Brazil August 2020: VW #1 again, Jeep to record #6, Fiat Strada (+29.2%) shines in market struck -24.8%

One year ago: Brazil September 2019: Chevrolet signs first 1-2 in at least 35 years (Onix-Prisma), Chery hits highest ever Chinese brand ranking (#12)

Full September 2020 Top 30 brands and Top 150 models below.