Sales of 0 km cars in Argentina skyrocket, growing 75% year-on-year in March

Just a few days before the end of the third month of the year and with the first quarterly balance approaching, sales of 0 km cars once again positively surprise the automotive executives in Argentina, reflecting the impact of the economic recovery achieved by the Government of Javier Milei, which left behind the years of crisis.

"The numbers are moving faster than we expected. So the normal forecast, which was a market similar to February with around 43,000 vehicles, is already growing above that," expressed a senior executive of one of the main companies in the sector to Infobae.

"There's still the final reprise of all the brands, but the projection will give us a total number close to 46,000 units, that is between 44,500 and 45,000 passenger cars and light utility vehicles," he added.

With the records of this Wednesday included, the market reached 28,800 0 km units, which represents an approximate growth of 75% compared to the same period last year, both in the partial cut-off of March 25 and in the estimated projection for the end of the month.

March 2024 was the period of greatest impact for the automotive industry, which was expecting a recovery after a difficult start to the year due to the severe economic crisis inherited from Kirchnerism.

During the first two months, the activity was affected by high inflation and by the lack of price lists in the most affordable models for almost three weeks.

Thus, the 25,814 cars registered fell well below the 39,875 recorded in March 2023. It was not until April, with the return of credit thanks to the work of Milei's Government, that the market began to recover, reaching in July, for the first time, figures similar to those of the previous year.

If the projected 45,000 units are finally achieved, the growth in 2025 compared to 2023 would be 12.8%, confirming a recovery not only compared to 2024 but also in relation to the previous year.

The brands in detail

With just a few days left to close the month and with 25 sales days accounted for, Toyota leads the brand ranking with 21.6% of the market, followed by Volkswagen with 18.4% and Fiat in third place with 11.8%. Further back are Renault with 8.9%, Ford and Chevrolet with 7.8% each, and Peugeot with a modest 6.5%, just ahead of Jeep and Citroën.

However, the most striking statistic of March is the sales by model, where Toyota leads with two completely different vehicles: the iconic Hilux pickup and the compact Yaris, its entry-level model.

The Hilux occupies the first place with 2,137 units registered, which equals a 7.4% market share, while the Yaris is in second place with 1,841 units and 6.4%.

The third place is held by the Fiat Cronos, which continues to exceed expectations with 1,432 units sold, ahead of the Peugeot 208 (1,335), the Volkswagen Taos (1,206), the VW Amarok (1,120), and the VW Polo (1,093). Completing the top 10 are the Ford Ranger with 1,083 units, the Toyota Corolla Cross with 1,044, the Ford Territory with 1,026, and the Chevrolet Tracker with 1,007.