Puerto Rico’s new car sales take 18% YoY dip in May

New car sales in Puerto Rico took a nosedive in May, when 10,326 vehicles were sold, 18% fewer than the 12,686 units that rolled off lots in May 2021, The United Automobile Importers Group (GUIA, in Spanish) confirmed.
May sales represented the lowest so far this year, GUIA President Jose R. Ordeix said.
Cumulatively, the demand in Puerto Rico for the January-May period totaled 53,869 units, which reflects a decrease of 3.5% when compared to the same period in 2021, the trade group stated.
“The market continues to reflect a drastic reduction in new car inventories. The supply of important components for the manufacture of cars continues to affect supply chains and the solution of this element does not seem to indicate that it will be resolved in the what’s left of the year,” Ordeix said.
The minivan segment showed a marked decrease of 65.44% last month, compared to the same month last year, followed by vans, which plummeted by 53.62% and SUVs with a decrease of 26.11%. However, the sports vehicle segment had an increase compared to the same month last year of 14.55% followed by the sub-compact sedan segment, with an increase of 4.48% year-over-year.