Car sales fall yet set months record
O Estado de S. Paulo
The market of new cars ended last month with the sale of 244.8 thousand vehicles, including trucks and buses. The result is 35.8% lower than in December. Compared to the same month of 2010, there was an increase of 14.8%. It was the best January ever. The second best was in 2008, with 215 thousand units. On the assessment of representatives of the sector, the month didn't presented better results only because of credit tightening measures announced by the Central Bank at the end of last year, which took a major part of the families from the list of potential buyers.
For it is considered a traditionally weak month, the automakers foresaw a fall between 27% and 30% compared to December, which registered a monthly record with the sale of 381.6 thousand units. The result, however, was worse than expected. In the segment of cars and light commercial vehicles there was a 36.3% fall, with 230.2 thousand units, according to the licensing records of the Renavam (National Registration of Automobile Vehicles). In trucks, the fall in December was of nearly 30% and, in buses, 12.5%.
To the President of the National Association of Financing Companies of Automakers (Anef), Décio Carbonari de Almeida, the fall above the expected is related to the package that made credit more expensive. In the example he mentioned, the installments of a popular car purchased with no down payment, in 60 monthly payments, went from R$ 500 (US$ 294) to R$ 590 (US$ 347). "The monthly income required for a plan like this increased from R$ 2 thousand (US$ 1.18 thousand) to R$ 2.4 thousand (US$ 1.41 thousand), thus reducing the range of people capable of consumption", says Almeida. Consequently, the credit offer has also fallen, but he still does not have the numbers from January. The banks of the automakers represented by the Anef are responsible for 40% of the funding of new vehicles.
Because of the seasonality and the strategies adopted at the end of the year by the automakers to increase the sales - such as licensing of cars prior to being sold -, the result of January is not enough for the sector to indicate market trends. "We will wait for February to get a better idea", says the Vice President of General Motors do Brasil, Marcos Munhoz. "The first quarter will certainly be most impacted, but then the market shall resume a pace compatible with the growth forecasts for the year", says Almeida. The Anef and the National Automakers Association (Anfavea) expect a 5% increase in the sales this year to 3.69 million vehicles.
2010 began with changes in the sales ranking. Volkswagen led the market with 54.5 thousand cars and light commercial vehicles, 7.8 thousand more than the traditional leader Fiat, which sold 46.7 thousand units. The last time the German brand occupied the position in both segments was in February 2009. Then, the positions achieved last year were maintained by the others: GM (41.1 thousand vehicles), Ford (22.9 thousand), Renault (11.2 thousand), Honda (8.1 thousand) and Hyundai (7.8 thousand). Another change took place in the eighth position, occupied by Citroën for the first time (with 7.2 thousand units), ahead of Toyota (6.4 thousand) and Peugeot (5.8 thousand).
In the list of best-selling models in January are Gol (23 thousand units), Uno (16.8 thousand), Fox (11.4 thousand), Corsa (8.8 thousand units of the sedan) and Celta (8.1 thousand). On Monday, the Anfavea will announce the full balance of the month, with data of production, exports and jobs.