February car sales up 9.1% in PR driven by fleet sales
The United Group of Automobile Importers announced Wednesday that car sales in Puerto Rico were up 9.1 percent year-over-year in February, driven primarily by fleet sales.
The trade group known as GUIA confirmed the sale of 6,715 units last month.
“It is important that we consider all factors when analyzing sales,” said GUIA President Ricardo M. García. “Although we see a general growth, we have to consider the important role played by fleet sales, which represented 10.2 percent of the market and reflected a growth of 53.8 percent compared to the same period last year.”
“The growth of fleet sales exceeded the growth of retail sales, which we have been seeing for several periods,” he added.
When broken down by brands, last month’s best performers were Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia.
GUIA is an independent, nonprofit organization created in 2006 to manage issues directly related to the automobile industry, as well as Puerto Rico’s general economy. GUIA members represent 23 auto brands and over 96 percent of total new vehicle sales in Puerto Rico.