08/27/2008 17h27
Everybody with wide-open eyes in the Brazilian market
Gazeta Mercantil - 08/27/2008
The great expansion in sales in the Brazilian market since 2004 has been making feasible segments that have had little offer of models up until now. One of them is the one of average sports utility vehicles, which grew almost 100% in the first seven months of the year, compared to 2007. This year it will reach nearly 20,000 units, less than 1% of the passenger vehicles market, but the profitability attracts new protagonists. Mexican products will become increasingly attractive in Brazi, for the commercial agreement eliminates the importation tax. Here, Ford was the first one to be benefited, with the Fusion. And GM now brings the sports utility Chevrolet Captiva. It enters in the segment at an attractive price - between R$ 93 thousand (US$ 59.2 thousand) (4x2) and R$ 100 thousand (US$ 63.7 thousand) (4x4 on demand) - and if its 261 hp V6 aluminum engine, the cheapest one in the market, is considered. And there is also a 4-cylinder/2.4L/170 hp one, which could also be offered in 2009. The other extreme of the market will also have news. Carlos Ghosh, president of the Renault-Nissan alliance, admitted for the first time, in a trip to Brazil, that it may launch a model at less than US$ 10 thousand (R$ 16 thousand, without taxes) here, based on what is being developed with Indian manufacturer Bajai. "Not equal, because the law and regulations and the stage of the buyers demands are different. Everybody has the common desire to buy a new automobile. Today, even the cheapest national car, although older, already costs R$ 16 thousand without taxes", he analyzed. Since all world manufacturers have their eyes wide open on our growing market, Nissan will manufacture its first Brazilian automobile, the mono volume Livina, of 5 and 7 seats, over the architecture of the anabolized Logan/Sandero compacts. In order to confirm the rule, Suzuki comes back to Brazil after five years, first as an importing company. It would not be surprise if it also started producing.
