A ranking based on retail registrations in Brazil would place BYD second among automakers for January–September 2026, just ahead of Fiat, according to Motor1 Brasil’s analysis of Fenabrave figures. Volkswagen would lead with an estimated 138,728 retail registrations; BYD would follow with 128,439, and Fiat with 128,218. Chevrolet would sit fourth at 98,348.
The analysis separates retail purchases from direct sales, which include fleet and other business transactions as well as sales to some customer groups. Across cars and light commercial vehicles, Brazil recorded 2,156,499 registrations in the 2026 period cited by the article. Direct sales accounted for 1,050,215, or 48.7%, while retail made up 1,106,284, or 51.3%. The brand-level retail totals are estimates derived from Fenabrave’s published shares.
The model ranking also changes under this method. BYD’s Dolphin Mini tops the list with 46,898 retail registrations, ahead of the Hyundai Creta at 37,470 and Fiat Strada at 36,241. The BYD Dolphin ranks sixth with 30,712, while the GWM Haval H6 and Geely EX2 also make the top ten. Four of the ten models are Chinese-origin vehicles, the article notes.
Motor1 Brasil argues that retail figures offer a different view of individual consumer demand than totals that include direct sales. The results point to strong retail performance for more affordable electrified models, although the article does not provide a breakdown of the sales by powertrain.