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.
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.
| Move | Evidence | Check before copying |
|---|
| Build the brand on a few named models | Strada 128,357 and Polo 112,238 through November 2025 | Whether your best-selling model has a clear segment and price position |
| Add local production to a fast import story | BYD up 46.8% with the Camaçari plant opening in 2025 | Whether local production arrives before demand cools |
| Plan for supply shocks | Toyota down 16.3% after a factory storm | Whether 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 the communications industry, including on research produced by 5W. Editorial decisions are made by Everything-PR's editorial team.
