Puerto Rico auto sales up 20.1% in August
Toyota leads Puerto Rico auto sales.
Puerto Rico car sales reflected a 20.1 percent year-over-year growth in August, when 7,909 units rolled off the lots. The figure represents 1,346 additional units in comparison to the 6,562 vehicles sold the same month last year, the United Automobile Importers Group known as GUIA announced.
From January to August, the Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Island markets reflected a total sales volume of 64,481 units, an increase of 13.1 percent versus the 56,997 units last year, the group said.
In August, the three leading automakers, Toyota, Hyundai and Ford, sold 1,939, 895 and 833 units, respectively, outpacing all other U.S., Japanese, Korean and European brands in the market. Based on the numbers, Toyota commanded 24.5 percent of the market, Hyundai took 11.3 percent and Ford had a 10.5 percent share.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of the vehicles sold were for the most part in the mini- and sub-compact categories.
So far this year, the auto market reflects a percentage increase that is above GUIA’s earlier projections, putting the new year-end total demand at 105,000 units. In 2011, the Puerto Rico and USVI markets sold a combined 93,687 units.
“Although the industry reflects a significant improvement versus last year, it is still well below pre-crisis levels when 140,404 units were sold in 2005,” GUIA said in a statement.
GUIA is an independent, nonprofit organization created in 2006 to address the auto industry’s issues. Its members represent more than 96 percent of total new vehicle sales in Puerto Rico and the USVI.
