Argentina Car Sales By Brand : 2015

One of the top selling models in Argentina is a Classic

Sales were down 6.6% in 2015, and have fallen from nearly 920,000 just two years ago. Yet that isn't that uncommon in this nation where the economy bucks like a gaúcho's feisty mount. At the top VW managed a small increase and indeed the top three brands give little indication of the fluctuations below them.

Fiat's drop is large for a major player, as too for Peugeot and Citroën. It's hard to put a pattern on it but I get the impression it often depends on where the vehicle is sourced. Then by increasing import duties on those outside the exemptions (to reduce the trade deficit), sales can shrink quickly.

A classic example is that of Suzuki. From selling a few hundred in the early noughties, they soon passed the 10,000 mark by the middle of that decade. Then a quick slide to nothing in 2013, followed by a small comeback in 2014 and another slump in 2015.

It is understandable that a nation with trade balance issues would see the car industry as an effective way to curb a deficit. However, what seems the lack of long term policies, the stroke of a pen can take a brand from successful to a minor player almost overnight. Land Rover sold 448 vehicles in 2013 and 60 in 2015. With a model soon to be assembled in Brazil, it will be interesting if that will help the marque recover some lost ground.

11	12	13	14	15	Brand	2015	%	+/-
1	1	1	1	1	VW	115,842	18.9%	2.8%
3	4	4	2	2	Ford	90,204	14.7%	-2.2%
2	2	3	5	3	Chevrolet	86,143	14.0%	3.5%
4	3	2	4	4	Renault	77,380	12.6%	-8.6%
5	6	5	3	5	Fiat	70,135	11.4%	-17.5%
7	7	7	7	6	Toyota	65,320	10.6%	0.9%
6	5	6	6	7	Peugeot	50,812	8.3%	-27.7%
8	8	8	8	8	Citroën	21,669	3.5%	-23.3%
10	14	13	10	9	Nissan	7,438	1.2%	25.2%
11	10	10	11	10	Mercedes	6,481	1.1%	17.4%
9	9	9	9	11	Honda	5,588	0.9%	-37.7%
15	12	11	12	12	Chery	4,872	0.8%	28.2%
19	17	18	14	13	Iveco	2,555	0.4%	11.7%
17	18	17	16	14	Kia	2,046	0.3%	45.2%
12	13	14	13	15	Chrysler	1,825	0.3%	-29.6%
13	15	15	15	16	Hyundai	1,726	0.3%	-3.4%
14	11	12	17	17	Audi	1,723	0.3%	47.3%
20	19	21	19	18	Mitsubishi	535	0.1%	25.6%
18	16	16	18	19	BMW	436	0.1%	-26.6%
23	23	20	22	20	Alfa Romeo	346	0.1%	104.7%
24	22	25	20	21	smart	153		-30.5%
25	20	19	21	22	MINI	90		-48.6%
21	24	23	26	23	Subaru	84		20.0%
28	25	24	25	24	Land Rover	60		-51.6%
27	26	26	27	25	Porsche	49		-7.5%
16	28	-	23	26	Suzuki	39		-70.9%
26	21	22	24	27	Volvo	36		-72.5%
					Other	19
					Total	613,606		-6.6%

Data source: ACARA.