In February 2025, Argentina's new light vehicle market sustained its robust growth trajectory, recording sales of 40,422 units, a significant year-on-year increase of 70.8%. From the beginning of the year to February, cumulative sales stood at 106,666 units, marking a 99.4% year-on-year surge.

◎ Fiat Cronos reclaimed the monthly sales crown, selling 2,872 units and topping the charts for the first time in nearly a year (since March 2024).

◎ Volkswagen led the brand rankings with a 17.9% market share, closely followed by Toyota with 16.5%.

◎ Brands like Fiat, Peugeot, and Renault also shone, ranking among the top five.

◎ Chinese brands, including BAIC, Chery, and Jetour, are making waves in the market despite small sales bases. Their astonishing year-on-year growth rates highlight their strong growth potential.

We delve into the latest developments in Argentina's auto market from three perspectives: sales overview, model performance, and competitive landscape.

01

Argentina Sales Overview

● Argentina's new light vehicle market sold 40,422 units in February 2025, a 70.8% year-on-year increase, fueled by improving economic conditions, robust consumer demand, and strong market recovery.

● Cumulative sales from the start of the year to February reached 106,666 units, a 99.4% increase compared to the same period last year, indicating explosive growth for Argentina's auto market at the start of 2025.

The Argentine market is still predominantly fueled by traditional vehicles, accounting for the vast majority of sales. The market share of electric and hybrid vehicles is growing gradually.

Limited by charging infrastructure and consumer purchasing power, the popularization of new energy vehicles remains relatively slow, with fuel vehicles set to remain the mainstream in the short term.

● Here's a snapshot of major brands' sales and performance in Argentina's market in February 2025:

◎ Volkswagen: Sold 7,257 units, securing a 17.9% market share, a 96.7% year-on-year increase. Strong performances from models like the Taos and Amarok propelled Volkswagen to surpass long-time leader Toyota, becoming the most popular brand of the month.

◎ Toyota: Sold 6,673 units, capturing a 16.5% market share, a 40.3% year-on-year increase. Models like the Hilux and Corolla Cross performed steadily, but their growth rate was lower than the market average.

◎ Fiat: Sold 5,927 units, commanding a 14.7% market share, a 78.5% year-on-year increase. The popularity of the Fiat Cronos pushed the brand to third place.

◎ Peugeot: Sold 4,218 units, securing a 10.4% market share, an 88.5% year-on-year increase. Strong performances from the Peugeot 208 and 2008 helped maintain its fourth-place ranking.

◎ Renault: Sold 4,171 units, capturing a 10.3% market share, a 79.9% year-on-year increase. The launch of models like the Renault Kardian supported its ranking.

◎ Other brands such as Chevrolet (7.2%), Ford (5.7%), Citroen (5.0%), Jeep (3.0%), and Nissan (2.5%) ranked among the top ten. Citroen and Chevrolet witnessed year-on-year growth rates of 144.7% and 126.3%, respectively.

● Although Chinese brands haven't yet reached the top of sales in Argentina's market, their growth momentum is undeniable. Here's a look at major Chinese brands' performances:

◎ BAIC: Sold 127 units, a 693.8% year-on-year increase;

◎ Haval: Sold 56 units;

◎ Chery: Sold 52 units, a 62.5% year-on-year increase, with the Tiggo series as its main sales driver;

◎ Dongfeng: Sold 50 units;

◎ JAC: Sold 38 units;

◎ Jetour: Sold 18 units.

While Chinese brands account for a small fraction of total market sales, their triple-digit and even four-digit year-on-year growth rates indicate rapid market penetration, particularly in SUV and economy car segments where they offer competitive pricing and configurations.

02

Model Sales Analysis

In February 2025, Argentina's model sales rankings revealed a diverse competitive landscape.

● Here are the top ten models' specific performances:

◎ Fiat Cronos: Sold 2,872 units, capturing a 7.1% market share, a 4.2% year-on-year increase. Cronos, with its affordable price and localized production advantages, reclaimed the monthly sales crown after nearly a year.

◎ Peugeot 208: Sold 2,753 units, securing a 6.8% market share, a 44.1% year-on-year increase. Although it fell to second place, its year-to-date cumulative sales (8,102 units) remain the highest.

◎ Toyota Hilux: Sold 2,418 units, capturing a 6.0% market share, a 73.6% year-on-year increase. As an evergreen in the pickup market, the Hilux performed steadily.

◎ Volkswagen Amarok: Sold 2,047 units, securing a 5.1% market share, a 69.9% year-on-year increase. The Amarok strengthened Volkswagen's position in the pickup segment.

◎ Toyota Yaris: Sold 1,646 units, capturing a 4.1% market share, a 34.8% year-on-year increase. The Yaris performed well in the compact car market.

◎ Volkswagen Taos: Sold 1,612 units, securing a 4.0% market share, a 73.0% year-on-year increase. The Taos has emerged as a key growth driver for the Volkswagen brand.

◎ Ford Ranger: Sold 1,608 units, capturing a 4.0% market share, a 14.0% year-on-year increase. The Ranger faces slightly stiffer competition in the pickup segment.

◎ Chevrolet Tracker: Sold 1,264 units, securing a 3.1% market share, an 81.9% year-on-year increase. The Tracker shone in the SUV market.

◎ Toyota Corolla Cross: Sold 1,185 units, capturing a 2.9% market share, a 53.7% year-on-year increase. Its hybrid version garnered some attention.

◎ Peugeot 2008: Sold 1,146 units, capturing a 2.8% market share. The newly launched model performed impressively.

SUV models such as the Haval H6, Chery Tiggo series, and BAIC X35 are the main sales drivers for Chinese brands. These models are favored by budget-conscious consumers due to their competitive pricing (usually lower than similar models from European, American, and Japanese brands) and rich configurations (including smart connectivity features).

Due to limited brand recognition and after-sales service networks, Chinese brand models' sales volumes remain small, and they haven't been able to compete directly with mainstream models like the Fiat Cronos or Peugeot 208.

Argentina's auto market is dominated by Volkswagen, Toyota, and Fiat, which offer a wide range of product lines. Peugeot and Renault maintain their competitiveness through the rapid launch of new models (such as the Peugeot 2008 and Renault Kardian).

Summary

In February 2025, Argentina's new light vehicle market witnessed a fresh wave of growth, led by Fiat Cronos. Brands like Volkswagen, Toyota, and Peugeot also excelled, collectively driving market sales to increase by 70.8% year-on-year.