No Vehicle Import Charges Boost 2010 Sales in Colombia

Colombia is far from being a large auto market and carmakers aren't exactly focused on expanding their operations in the country, so the local auto industry is often totally absent from the front page of newspapers. However, Colombia has adopted an ascending trend when it comes to new vehicle sales and the fact that the country has a free trade agreement with Mexico, which means to charges on imports are applied, is one of the main reasons for this.

The main proof that Mexico, one of the largest vehicle producers in the area, backed the Colombian auto sector is the fact that locally-manufactured cars were less successful in 2010 than those imported from this particular country. While sales of the models made in Colombia stagnated or posted only slight increases, deliveries of those imported from Mexico grew 177.1 percent, followed by Japan with 89.2 percent and Mercosur with 68.9 percent.

“The 253,869 vehicles sold is good news but clearly a low volume compared with the market's potential because the motorization index is just 5.6 cars for every 1,000 inhabitants while, in similar countries, it's at least double that," Oliverio García, president of Colombian automotive group Andemos, told just-auto.

SUVs grew the most last year, posting an increase of 64.1 percent, while pickup trucks grew 54.6 percent. Passenger cars came third with 33.9 percent, followed closely by trucks with 33.4 percent.

Chevrolet currently holds the biggest market share (33.5 percent), while Renault and Hyundai complete the podium with 15 percent and 9.8 percent respectively. Kia (7.7 percent), Nissan (5.8 percent), Toyota (5.6 percent) and Mazda (5.4 percent) are also among the top sellers in Colombia.