latin american automotive marketing strategies from leading car brands explained
Automotive marketing in Latin America is led by Brazil, where Fiat sold 533,710 vehicles in 2025, Volkswagen 436,297 and Chevrolet 275,965, together 48% of the market, according to Fenabrave data reported by Vrum. BYD grew 46.8% to 112,814 after opening its Camaçari plant, while Toyota fell 16.3% after a storm hit a factory.
Facts current as of October 12, 2026. This page covers Brazil only. Mexico, Argentina and Colombia are not yet covered with sourced data.
Which brands led Brazil's car market in 2025?
Fiat, Volkswagen and Chevrolet led Brazil's new vehicle market in 2025, and Chinese brand BYD was the fastest riser. Fenabrave, the federation that represents the country's vehicle distributors, counts registered new cars and light commercial vehicles, and Vrum reported the 2025 brand table in January 2026.
Brand
2025 sales
2024 sales
Change
Fiat
533,710
521,282
+2.38%
Volkswagen
436,297
400,414
+8.96%
Chevrolet
275,965
314,956
-12.14%
Hyundai
203,579
206,029
-1.19%
Toyota
170,635
203,793
-16.3%
BYD
112,814
76,811
+46.8%
Honda
103,460
91,450
+13.13%
Fiat, Volkswagen and Chevrolet accounted for 48% of the units, per Vrum's brand ranking. The same report says Hyundai and Toyota completed the top five, and that BYD moved from tenth place in 2024 to eighth.
Which models did the marketing work for in Brazil?
Two Fiat and Volkswagen models carried most of the volume. Through November 2025, the Fiat Strada was Brazil's best-selling vehicle with 128,357 registrations, ahead of the Volkswagen Polo at 112,238, the Fiat Argo at 92,376, the Volkswagen T-Cross at 82,116 and the Chevrolet Onix at 71,891, according to Fenabrave data summarized by Zapay. In November, the Volkswagen Tera was the top-selling car, excluding pickups.
Why it works: a brand that wins in Brazil wins with a small number of named models that buyers can recall, a Strada or a Polo, not with the whole range. EPR's reading of the table is that Fiat's pickup-led lead and Volkswagen's compact range show the same discipline EPR describes in its 2026 automotive marketing playbook: one clear message per segment.
How did BYD move so fast in Brazil?
BYD moved fast by selling a low-priced electric model and a hybrid SUV while building a local factory. Its Song hybrid SUV sold 23,654 units and the Dolphin Mini 19,516 through August 2025, Motor Show reported, and Vrum notes that 2025 was the year BYD inaugurated its Camaçari plant in Bahia.
BYD's regional growth also fits the pattern EPR tracks in AI answers, where the brand is near-invisible in US English despite its global sales. EPR's automotive AI citation share study and EV citation index cover that gap.
What happened to Toyota and Chevrolet?
Toyota and Chevrolet both lost volume in 2025 for different reasons. Toyota's 16.3% fall followed a storm that hit its São Paulo state factory, Vrum reported, so the drop was a supply event and not a demand event. Chevrolet's 12.14% fall has no cause stated in the sources reviewed for this page.
Everything-PR News, LLC and 5W AI Communications share a common ownership group. Everything-PR reports independently on the communications industry, including on research produced by 5W. Editorial decisions are made by Everything-PR's editorial team.
Fiat, Volkswagen and Chevrolet led Brazil's new vehicle market in 2025, and Chinese brand BYD was the fastest riser. Fenabrave, the federation that represents the country's vehicle distributors, counts registered new cars and light commercial vehicles, and Vrum reported the 2025 brand table in January 2026. Brand2025 sales2024 salesChange Fiat533,710521,282+2.38% Volkswagen436,297400,414+8.96% Chevrolet275,965314,956-12.14% Hyundai203,579206,029-1.19% Toyota170,635203,793-16.3% BYD112,81476,811+46.8% Honda103,46091,450+13.13% Fiat, Volkswagen and Chevrolet accounted for 48% of the units, per Vrum's brand ranking. The same report says Hyundai and Toyota completed the top five, and that BYD moved from tenth place in 2024 to eighth.
Which models did the marketing work for in Brazil?
Two Fiat and Volkswagen models carried most of the volume. Through November 2025, the Fiat Strada was Brazil's best-selling vehicle with 128,357 registrations, ahead of the Volkswagen Polo at 112,238, the Fiat Argo at 92,376, the Volkswagen T-Cross at 82,116 and the Chevrolet Onix at 71,891, according to Fenabrave data summarized by Zapay. In November, the Volkswagen Tera was the top-selling car, excluding pickups. Why it works: a brand that wins in Brazil wins with a small number of named models that buyers can recall, a Strada or a Polo, not with the whole range. EPR's reading of the table is that Fiat's pickup-led lead and Volkswagen's compact range show the same discipline EPR describes in its 2026 automotive marketing playbook: one clear message per segment.
How did BYD move so fast in Brazil?
BYD moved fast by selling a low-priced electric model and a hybrid SUV while building a local factory. Its Song hybrid SUV sold 23,654 units and the Dolphin Mini 19,516 through August 2025, Motor Show reported, and Vrum notes that 2025 was the year BYD inaugurated its Camaçari plant in Bahia. BYD's regional growth also fits the pattern EPR tracks in AI answers, where the brand is near-invisible in US English despite its global sales. EPR's automotive AI citation share study and EV citation index cover that gap.
What happened to Toyota and Chevrolet?
Toyota and Chevrolet both lost volume in 2025 for different reasons. Toyota's 16.3% fall followed a storm that hit its São Paulo state factory, Vrum reported, so the drop was a supply event and not a demand event. Chevrolet's 12.14% fall has no cause stated in the sources reviewed for this page. For how Toyota communicates after supply and safety problems, see EPR's Toyota public relations profile and its per-model marketing breakdown.
What can marketers in Latin America take from the data?
Marketers can take three actions from Brazil's 2025 table, each tied to a figure above. The table lists the move and the check to run first. MoveEvidenceCheck before copying Build the brand on a few named modelsStrada 128,357 and Polo 112,238 through November 2025Whether your best-selling model has a clear segment and price position Add local production to a fast import storyBYD up 46.8% with the Camaçari plant opening in 2025Whether local production arrives before demand cools Plan for supply shocksToyota down 16.3% after a factory stormWhether your communications plan covers a supply event as well as a safety event For the other regional guides, see the Middle East, Asia and Europe pages, the 25 best automotive marketing campaigns and the automotive and mobility AI visibility hub. For help with an automotive program, see 5W's automotive marketing agency practice. Everything-PR News, LLC and 5W AI Communications share a common ownership group. Everything-PR reports independently on th
Which car brand sells the most in Brazil?
Fiat, with 533,710 registered vehicles in 2025, per Fenabrave data reported by Vrum.
How fast did BYD grow in Brazil in 2025?
BYD grew 46.8% to 112,814 vehicles in 2025, per Vrum.
Why did Toyota's Brazil sales fall in 2025?
Toyota fell 16.3% to 170,635 vehicles after a storm hit its São Paulo state factory, per Vrum.
Does this page cover Mexico or Argentina?
No. This page covers Brazil only. Other Latin American markets will be added with sourced data. Last updated October 17, 2026.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team is the staff byline for news, analysis and features on communications, reputation, AI visibility and digital discovery. Everything-PR has published since 2009. AI tools assist with research and drafting, and every article is reviewed by a human editor before publication. Coverage follows the Editorial Policy, and substantive corrections are noted on the article under the Corrections Policy.
