Light commercial vehicle sales in the Brazilian fleet market for 2018 were up 17.5% when compared to what was reported in 2017, and vehicle sales, overall, also rose by 14.6%, according to the National Association of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (ANFAVEA).

Some of the top manufacturers that had reported stronger numbers in the light commercial segment over 2017 included Nissan (up 55.9%); Mercedes-Benz (up 33.1%);  and Renault (which was up 28.2%).

The Fiat Strada took the top spot for light commercial vehicles in 2018 with sales of 67,227 units, followed by the Fiat Toro with 58,477 units, and the VW Saveiro was No.3 with 45,920 units.

FCA itself also saw a 19.7% increase in light commercial vehicle sales, year over year, at the end of 2018.

Sales of new trucks were also up by 46.3% for 2018, year over year, in Brazil. Volvo was a top performer, increasing sales by 78.8% in 2018. Mercedes-Benz also saw a significant increase in truck sales in 2018, up by 44.2%. The automaker sold 21,153 trucks in 2018 versus 14,760 in 2017.

Brazilian new vehicle sales (including trucks and buses) in December 2018 also increased 10.3% year over year to 234,531 units.