Used car sales increase in July and accumulate more than 1.2 million

The rising price of new vehicles has prompted many buyers to turn to the used market. So far this year, this sector has already seen 1,264,950 transactions, representing a 5.2% increase compared to 2024. Everything indicates that this year, once again, the two million transaction mark will be surpassed.

This is because July was a particularly good month for used cars, with growth of almost 6% and 193,933 sales. This means that two used cars are sold for every new one registered.

This indicator is used to assess the maturity of a used market, and the associations overseeing this sector, Faconauto (official dealers) and Ganvam (sales and distribution companies), point out that there is still a gap compared to other countries where used-market sales are more dynamic.

In July, cars less than a year old stood out for their growth, increasing their numbers by 16% to 9,812 units. Models between one and three years old followed closely behind, with a 15.7% increase to 16,226 units. These models represent the bulk of the used offerings at official dealerships.

According to a joint statement from both employers' associations, "This focus on newer models explains why rental car sales were the most significant. Sales increased by 19.1% last month. Imports grew by almost 35% in July, reaching 13,707 units, but their share represents only 7% of the total."

One of Ganvam's priorities is rejuvenating its fleet, and one of the keys to this is replacing models less than five years old, many of which come from leasing operations that are ending their contracts and are "a key lever for reducing the average age."

These vehicles registered 325,000 units, representing a 7.5% increase, and now account for one in every four used cars sold. Both associations believe the government should encourage demand for these types of vehicles with scrappage plans to modernize the fleet.

The bulk of transactions continue to be concentrated in models older than 15 years, which is the market where transactions between individuals are most prevalent. So far this year, they have increased by 3.5%, and in July, they changed hands 520,917 times, 7.3% more than in 2024.

Although diesel engines are difficult to find in new models, they remain the most popular option on the used market (accounting for 51%), with 645,529 transactions. Electric vehicles continue to grow, with a 48.8% increase through July and 15,589 units sold.