Brazil - Volare SA of Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State (a subsidiary of Marcopolo SA since 1998) has announced a record year in export sales  of 535 vehicles for 2018 since it started its export activities some 20 years ago. Volare, which specializes in the manufacturing of mini- and microbuses from 5,000 to 10,000kg gvw, saw its export sales rise by 45% over the previous year, when it had exported 370 units. This growth is a result of the brand’s strategy to actively expand its sales operations on a number of different continents; whilst this included countries in South America such as Chile, Peru and Uruguay, it also includes countries in Africa, like Nigeria and the Middle East, such as Qatar and United Arab Emirates.

Its main export market last year was Chile, where it sold some 320 units, followed by Nigeria with 50 units. Sales to Peru, Mexico, Qatar and Belgium also had a significant share of sales compared with previous years. The most exported models were the micro-bus Attack 8 and Fly 9, which have gross vehicle weights of 8 tons and 9 tons, respectively.