ANFAVEA forecasts that 100,000 new trucks will be sold in Brazil in 2021, which is very close to the performance recorded just years ago in 2019.

The FH 540 truck, produced by Volvo do Brasil Veículos Ltda at its manufacturing complex in São José dos Pinhais, sold 5,870 units between January and December 2020 making it the best-selling truck model in Brazil, according to data from dealer association, Fenabrave.

Trucks was the only vehicle segment to record positive results for 2020 in the Colombian automotive sector with sales registrations totalling 16,663 units, an increase of 7% compared with 15,577 units sold in 2019 according to Andemos.

Production of trucks in 2020 totalled 90,936 units, some 19.9% lower than that recorded for 2019 of 113,476, according to figures supplied by ANFAVEA.

According to data released by ANAC commercial vehicles sales totalled 13,272 units, down by 18.8% compared with 16,342 units sold in 2019.

The market for bus and coach chassis slumped badly in 2020 to register 13,931 units, a 33.4% reduction in sales on 2019 registrations of 20,932 vehicles, one unit more than 7,000 vehicles fewer.

In 2020, the Uruguayan market registered 1,748 new trucks, 12.4% more than the 1,555 units sold in 2019 and only 224 buses, 38.5% fewer than the 364 units sold in the previous year.

The Peruvian market reached sales of 12,909 heavy commercial vehicles, a decrease of 22.5% compared with 2019, when it registered 16,650 vehicles, according to AAP.

Argentina in 2020 registered 10,562 heavy commercial vehicles (trucks and buses), a 9.9% decrease compared with the 11,725 units sold in 2019, according to data released by Acara.

According to data released by Fabus, Brazilian production of bus and coach bodies decreased by 26.7% in 2020 compared with the previous year; 16,715 units were manufactured against 22,806 in the same period last year.

Overall, total sales of truck bodies and semi-trailers finished the year up 0.8% over the previous year, by registering 121,891 units against 120,962 units, according to Anfir.

In its centenary year in Brazil, Ford Brasil Ltda surprised the market in February by announcing it is to close its factory in São Bernardo do Campo where it produces the Ford F-Series F-350 and F-4000 truck models and Ford Cargo truck, as well as the Ford Fiesta car, whose production will cease as soon as inventories run out.