Cars: Due to the dollar shortage, seven of the top 10 selling vehicles are locally made

Total vehicle registrations 33,427 units in November, 17.3% more than in the same month of the previous year, informed the Association of Automobile Dealers (ACARA). In the 11 months since 2022, dealerships have sold 387,626 units6.6% compared to the same period of the previous year.

In this way, although during the last month of the year, for seasonal reasons, much fewer vehicles are patented than in the previous months (many buyers delay the operation in order to be able to register their unit in January of the following year), everything indicates that for all by 2022 the 400,000 patented zero kilometer unitsfor the first time since the pandemic.

“It is clear that if we had more units, the numbers would be higher“said the ACARA headline, Ricardo Salomein a company statement.

The offer of zero kilometer vehicles at dealerships has gone from an “overstock” situation a few months before the pandemic, to a shortage a few months later, due to the import restriction of new units.

By 2021, when the automotive trade had normalized in part (lack of availability of chips and also of boats for the transport of vehicles) it became clear that the government was authorizing the importation of units only to those automakers who could demonstrate a export balance.

There was a name transition in the Import Administration this year. Since December 2019, the sector had been in the hands of the then Minister of Productive Development, Matias Kulfasand its Secretary of Industry, Ariel Schale. With the arrival of Sergio Massa to the Ministry of the Economy, this task was carried out by the current Secretary of Commerce, Matias Tombolini. The import authorization system also changes, from yes mine current SIRA.

But the name changes it did not result in any changes in terms of import restrictionswhereby local buyers had to settle for an offer consisting of locally made vehiclesin some cases accompanied by models that authorize the contribution of car manufacturers with the highest export balanceas in the case of Toyota Argentina.

The ranking of patents it’s a strong photo of that policy. Seven of the ten best-selling models so far this year are made locally. And the remaining three are Brazilian models imported from Toyota.

The two best-selling models, after 11 months of 2022, are the Fiat Chrono (37,363 units) and the Peugeot 208 (24,672). Although the two models are produced in different plants, they belong to the same car manufacturer, stellantis.

Two collections also of local production follow, the hilux toyota (22,881 units) and the Volkswagen Amarok (20,141). The first Brazilian model is from Toyota, the small car etios (16,946 units patented in 11 months) followed by a locally produced midsize car, the Chevrolet Cruze (14,594).

Seventh in the standings another Brazilian Toyota, the Yaris (13,619 units), followed by the utility kangoo made in Córdoba (13,396). In eighth place is withdrawal Ford Ranger produced in Pacheco (12,196 patents) and the “top ten” is closed by the version Through from Toyota Corolla Brazilian (11,842).

“Month after month there are many people who continue to channel their resources into the acquisition of vehicles, adapting to the existing offer which is limited but equally attractive“added Salomé. “The challenge now is that the 400,000 units estimated for 2022 are a floor for next year and that we can consolidate the market at these levels with the real possibility of increasing it by 4/6%, a perfectly achievable figure if we get more liberalization of imports“, he has declared.