The 0 km vehicle market in Uruguay seems to show signs of stability at the start of 2022. In the last two months, the total sales figures have practically been on a par with the volume sold in 2021. The sharp drop in the exchange rate of more than 10% in the accumulated January-May seems not to be attractive enough to encourage consumption and replacement of vehicles 0 km in the Uruguayan square.
According to data released by the Uruguayan Automotive Trade Association (ACAU), In May, 4,636 units were placed in all segments, just 18 units below sales for the same month last year (4,654).
Sales had fallen in January (-8%) and February (-5%), showed a strong rebound in March (+22%) and stabilized in April (3%) and May (-0.4%) in the year-on-year comparison.
In the accumulated January-May, 21,976 0 km units have been sold in all its segments, a volume that indicates a year-on-year expansion of 3.3%.
The segment with the greatest weight in the market, automobiles (1,877 units sold) fell sharply (-19%) year-on-year in May. In the fifth month of 2021, 2,328 vehicles had been placed 0 km. However, in the case of sport utility vehicles (SUV) there was growth from 997 units in May last year to 1,185 this year (+19%).
The utility segment also grew (+20%) in the year-on-year comparison after selling 1,307 units last month versus 1,091 in 2021. Finally, in the segment of trucks there was also a significant jump (+42%) going from 180 to 256 units sold in May this year, according to ACAU.
In the end-to-end variation of May, the dollar weakened 2.3% ($ 0.92) against the Uruguayan peso and accumulated its fifth month on that path of depreciation. So far this year to May, the exchange rate in Uruguay fell 10.7% and in the first days of June it maintained its downward path. This Monday, the coin lost 0.47% with a wholesale average of $39.68, while the last trade of the day was agreed at $39.60 (-0.63% compared to Friday).
