Here we go again. For your perusal pleasure, you’ll find below JATO Dynamics Brazil survey of the biggest car brands in the world’s largest markets in 2010 (as reported by Brazilian car business site automotivebusiness.com.br). Mind you, we’re talking brands here. We are NOT talking manufacturer groups. So Nissan is definitely separated from Renault, Fiat’s numbers do not include Chrysler, nor does Chevrolet include Cadillac or for that matter Wuling. It’s a little different from OICA’s list. And, to me at least, very interesting. I believe this list reflects better how consumers view the individual brands.
Fiat-Chrysler for example, out of the top 10 car groups’ listing, makes it back into the top 10 in the form of Fiat. The French twins Peugeot and Citroën leave, while Renault keeps the flour-de-lis flying in the top 10. According to the site that published the list, Kia makes it into top 10 for the first time. Chevrolet also, as a brand, posted an excellent recovery in 2010.
Every brand on the list posted double digit gains — except Fiat, Honda and Toyota. While the Japanese still grew a little, Fiat was the only one that actually lost ground. Ford had an excellent year, as did VW. Toyota managed to hang onto first though it grew slightly less than competitors. Of the Japanese, Nissan did best. Kia grew more than ten percent more than parent Hyundai. I’ll say it once, I’ll say it again, the ex-Audi guy at Kia is a lot better than that ex-BMW guy at Hyundai.
| Car Brand | Sales 2010 | Sales 2009 | Difference |
| 1 – Toyota | 5,496,346 | 5,128,647 | 7.2% |
| 2 – Volkswagen | 4,407,062 | 3,972,839 | 10.9% |
| 3 – Ford | 4,320,792 | 3,901,315 | 10.8% |
| 4 – Chevrolet | 3,592,600 | 2,939,026 | 22.2% |
| 5 – Honda | 3,152,197 | 3,017,491 | 4.5% |
| 6 – Nissan | 3,088,298 | 2,621,882 | 17.8% |
| 7 – Hyundai | 2,931,325 | 2,608,220 | 12.4% |
| 8 – Fiat | 1,853,282 | 1,954,250 | -5.3% |
| 9 – Renault | 1,668,615 | 1,481,045 | 12.7% |
| 10 – Kia | 1,593,602 | 1,297,555 | 22.8% |
This all on strength of the global market recovering. As the US, but specially Europe remained largely stable, this showed just how important Asia and the rest of the developing world is becoming to car makers. However, as this year the US market is facing a strong rebound look for Honda, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet to be even stronger next year. Chrysler could well climb back into the top 10.
Disclosure: the survey was carried out just in 22 of the world’s main markets, to wit: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the United States. It includes sales of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles (pick-ups and vans, but no buses or heavy trucks).
Mostly mainstream brands. Interesting. The top 4 is what would be expected, Chevy is still very strong.
Also down here in Aussiesland, Chevy don’t sell cars, AFAIK, officially.
Ah Stingray, so that’s where you moved to! Feeling the sting of gas yet?
No, we call them (Korean) Holdens. As opposed to real Holdens. They are made by DAT Korea, formerly known as Daewoo, now known as Chevrolet. Sold everywhere else except Australia as Chevys.
I wonder what the numbers would be if the Korean Chevy numbers were removed?
I like the blond brand!!!
Blond brands don’t work for me. Black-haired. Brunette in a pinch.
Well there better be grass on the field or I’m taking my equipment and going home.
“Every brand on the list posted double digit gains — except Fiat and Honda”. Actually it is three – Toyota also underperformed.
Oooops! Sorry! Of course you’re right.
I wouldn’t say Honda “under-performed”, because Honda never suffered much of a sales drop. As a result, the bounce back won’t be big either. Honda’s sales, profit and stock price are near or at historic highs.
I think Honda’s problem is that they don’t have that much of a presence in many important markets in Thirld World, particularly in countries like Brazil, Argentina and India that have a local auto industry in which Honda is a relative beginner and where they insist on selling their wares at above market prices. Nissan by comparison doesn’t insist on such a wide margin from local maruqes and did comparitecly better.For 2010 Honda is “strong” in the “wrong” places. Because of US this picture may be very different in 2011, but it doesn’t bode well for Honda long-term. Like Bertel said in another post, BRIC countries and other like them are where makers have to be to guarantee growth in the next decades as US, Japan and West Europe are relatively stagnant in growth terms.
Makes sense to me. The rest of the world is not self-obsessed with the American brands as the Buy American boys are. What is sold in the rest of the world as a “Chevrolet” never sees the light of day in the US, and masquerades under the moniker Chevrolet actually made in South Korea, Australia, China, India, Brazil, European countries and Mexico. Still, this is good for the US as it would be hoped that GM sends home some of that “profit” money to mama to offset their UAW-driven losses in the US. The best of all worlds would be for GM to get out of Dodge and move to China, and then send all that profit back to the US. May help the US tax payers get a little of that wasted bail out money back.
Not Australia. Chevys are called Holdens here.
This makes NO sense to me: why only sales in 22 markets?
Just as an example, the Peugeot brand sold 2 142 000 cars last year, yet it is not in this ranking. So did the author forget a few brands?
Marcelo do you have a contact email, I can’t find it
Thanks
Enrique
send to marcello@ttac.com or marcelo@ttac.com