Brazil's New-Car Sales Up Nearly 20% in 2026 as Chinese Brands and Electrified Models Lead the Charge

Brazil's new-vehicle market kept up its strong run in August 2026, with 262,052 registrations — 22% more than in the same month a year earlier. The slight 0.9% dip from July was largely a calendar artifact, since the month had two fewer business days; measured per working day, sales actually rose 8.6%. Year to date, 1,883,332 vehicles have been registered, up 19.3% on the first eight months of 2025.

According to Bright Consultoria, the momentum rests on stable consumer confidence, the advance of electrified cars — which now account for 24.3% of the market — and the expansion of Chinese brands, whose combined share of total sales has reached 23.1%. The consultancy also notes that buyers increasingly prefer a brand-new Chinese model over a second-hand vehicle.

Fiat stayed comfortably on top of the brand ranking with 48,427 units, followed by Volkswagen, while Chevrolet fended off a steadily growing BYD (24,441 units, up 0.4%) to hold third place despite its own 0.6% slip. Hyundai posted the biggest gain among the top five. In the model chart, the Fiat Strada led with 13,796 registrations, well clear of the VW Polo and VW Tera, and the BYD Dolphin Mini climbed to fifth overall — with the Haval H6, Geely EX2 and BYD Dolphin also placing inside the top ten.

Direct sales loomed large in several results: they made up 98.6% of the Fiat Mobi's 5,587 units, 77.8% of Hyundai HB20 deliveries and 48.8% of Creta registrations.