Mexico's New-Car Sales Pass 1 Million by August for the First Time as Factory Output Slides
Mexicans bought 1,014,715 new light vehicles in the first eight months of 2026, the highest January–August total in INEGI's records. Domestic production, however, fell for a fourth straight month in August.
Lead
Mexico's new-vehicle market has crossed a symbolic line. Light-vehicle sales reached 1,014,715 units between January and August 2026, up 4.68% year on year, according to the national statistics agency INEGI. It is the first time the January–August total has passed one million in the agency's series, which goes back to 2016.
The factories tell a different story. Mexican plants built 344,940 light vehicles in August, 1.43% fewer than a year earlier, which makes four consecutive months of decline. Showroom demand is holding up even as the country's export-driven production base loses momentum.
Key Figures
Domestic sales
- August 2026: 129,362 units, +2.23% YoY (August 2025: 126,545)
- January–August 2026: 1,014,715 units, +4.68% (2025: 969,385)
- INEGI's flash estimate on September 2 put August at 129,479. The figure was revised on September 7 after Honda and Isuzu updated their data. Motornation did not report August sales.
Top 10 brands, August 2026 (El Economista, based on INEGI's flash data)
- Nissan: 22,388 (17.3% share)
- General Motors: 17,028 (13.2%)
- Volkswagen: 11,788 (9.1%)
- Toyota: 10,870 (8.4%)
- Mazda: 9,258 (7.2%)
- Kia: 9,114 (7.0%)
- Stellantis (Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep): 6,551 (5.1%)
- Hyundai: 4,873 (3.8%)
- Ford: 4,758 (3.7%)
- Geely: 4,282 (3.3%)
The notable change is Geely's arrival in the top 10 at MG's expense. That makes Geely the best-selling Chinese brand among those reporting to INEGI.
Production and exports
- August production: 344,940, −1.43% (5,011 fewer units), the fourth monthly decline in a row
- January–August production: 2,645,140, −0.72%
- August exports: 300,475, +1.26%, a rebound from July's 9.69% slump to 261,534 units
- January–August exports: 2,251,254, essentially flat (−0.06%)
- Export destinations, Jan–Aug: United States 1,716,610 (76.3%), Canada 281,502 (12.5%), Germany 59,422 (2.6%). The automakers' association AMIA says 88.8% stayed within North America.
Market Analysis
The gap between rising sales and falling output reflects two largely separate markets. A large share of what Mexicans buy is imported, while more than three-quarters of what Mexico builds is shipped to the United States. There, Mexican-built vehicles pay the 25% Section 232 tariff on their non-North American content, and the USMCA (known in Mexico as T-MEC) is under formal review.
At home, the market is broadening. Geely's top-10 entry underlines the steady advance of Chinese brands. Electrified vehicles (hybrids, plug-in hybrids and EVs) made up 13.2% of August sales, or 17,046 units. For buyers, more brands and powertrains usually mean sharper pricing and richer standard equipment.
What to watch next: INEGI's September figures arrive in early October, around the same time as the next round of US–Mexico talks on the trade agreement.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Marek Ślusarczyk (Tupungato), CC BY 3.0
