Brazil’s Auto Output Surges in February

Brazil’s car production rose 24.9% month-over-month to 204,300 units in February 2026, rebounding from a 13.5% drop in January. Passenger cars output had a expansion of a 22.7%, while light commercial vehicles surged 34.8%. Truck output rose 14.5%, and bus production jumped 48.5%. Despite the robust monthly performance, production fell 8.2% compared to February 2025, reflecting pressure from declining exports.

Brazil’s car production fell 13.5% month-on-month to 159.6 thousand units in January 2026, reflecting a stable domestic market and weaker export demand. The comparison was also affected by a high base, as January 2025 recorded the strongest output for the month in the past six years. Passenger car production declined 13.9% to 120.5 thousand units, while output of light commercial vehicles dropped 20% to 30.5 thousand. In contrast, truck production increased 18.6% to 6.8 thousand units, and bus manufacturing surged 159.6% to 1,820 units.

Brazil’s car production dropped by 15.8% from the previous month to 184.5 thousand units in December 2025, partly due to the fewer number of working days. Year-on-year, auto production declined 3.9% compared to December 2024. For the year, Brazilian automakers produced 2.65 million vehicles, up 3.5% from 2024 and marking the industry’s strongest performance since 2019, mainly underpinned by light vehicles. Still, output fell short of manufacturers’ expectations for 7.8% growth, mainly impacted by high interest rates and increased competition from imported vehicles. For 2026, industry group Anfavea forecasts production to rise by 3.7% to about 2.7 million units.