Car Sales Drop 8% in Brazil

Sales of cars, trucks and buses slid to 288,200 units in September compared with 311,600 units a year earlier, automaker group ANFAVEA reports. Passenger vehicle demand fell 5% to 214,400 units.

Brazilian consumers rushed to buy cars in August before a tax break was scheduled to end, thus pulling ahead sales from September, according to ANFAVEA. It says that although the government at the last minute extended the incentives through October, demand had already been depleted.

Fiat remained Brazil's top-selling carmaker last month with 54,800 vehicles (-2%) followed by Volkswagen (+4% to 52,000 units), General Motors (-14% to 38,700 units), Ford (-8% to 18,500 units) and Renault (-16% to 14,200 units).

September sales of light commercial vehicles in the country dropped 6% to 63,300 units for light vehicles and plunged 43% to 8,500 units for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. Bus volume plummeted 40% to 1,900 units.

In the first nine months of 2012, total vehicle sales in Brazil rose 4% to 2.8 million units, ANFAVEA says.