Brand new car sales continue to grow: the 10 most popular models of May

The growth trend in new vehicle registrations continues. The year had already started with good news for the automotive sector . The announcement of changes to domestic taxes and the elimination of import tariffs on hybrid and electric vehicles was followed by the partial lifting of the "cepo" (import restrictions), which was very well received by the market.

Following April's very positive results, the best since 2018, May continued its strong performance. During the fifth month of the year, a total of 55,363 units were registered, representing a 59% increase compared to May 2024, when 34,796 vehicles were registered, according to the Argentine Association of Dealers (ACARA).

Compared to April, the numbers reflect a slight increase of 0.6%, as registrations reached 55,017 vehicles in the fourth month of the year.

Thus, 272,837 units were registered in the first five months of the year, representing 79% more than in the same period in 2024 , when 152,518 vehicles were registered.

The accumulated numbers so far this year confirm the strong start to 2025, which is exciting for a sector that welcomed the tax announcements and is on track to surpass initial forecasts. Several sources are already suggesting that the annual figure for vehicles will exceed 620,000.

If we analyze April's registrations by brand, the trend shown in the first three months was reversed: the brand that sold the most was Toyota , leaving behind Volkswagen , which had established itself as the market leader at the beginning of 2025.

The Japanese company registered 9,339 units, surpassing the German firm (8,597). Third place went once again to Fiat (7,282). Thus, in the first five months of the year, Volkswagen remains the top seller (44,727), closely followed by Toyota (44,407) and, further behind, Fiat (35,318).

The top ten for April was completed by Renault (5,228), Ford (4,387), Peugeot (4,193) , Chevrolet (4,069), Citroën (2,087), Jeep (2,053) and Nissan (1,329) . Special mention goes to BMW (191) , which grew by 35.5% compared to last month.

Imported models once again dominated the market (more than 60% of registrations come from vehicles not manufactured in the country), but May closed with seven domestically produced models as the best-sellers. And for the first time in a long time, a non-domestic model was the best-seller: the Toyota Yaris, from Brazil.

For Sebastián Beato, president of ACARA, the positive numbers have been there "since the beginning of the year, and everything indicates they will continue. We've been experiencing months of measures announced that have also impacted our activity and that contribute to a more orderly and predictable macroeconomy, such as the reduction of inflation, the reduction of the country tax, the elimination of taxes on higher-end cars, the lifting of the currency controls, and now the incentives for the use of savings outside the system."

"The factories have announced and made available new models and zero-interest financing, and our dealers have implemented a policy of promotions and offers that have made purchasing a vehicle a real opportunity today," the executive concluded.

5- Volkswagen Polo: 2,208

7- Volkswagen Amarok: 2,054

8- Volkswagen Taos: 1,588

9- Toyota Corolla Cross: 1,520

10- Chevrolet Tracker: 1,472