Mexico recorded sales of 754,394 new light vehicles between January and June 2026, the highest figure ever reported for a first half on record, according to INEGI data published on July 2. The volume surpasses the previous record of 745,004 units reached in the same period in 2017 by 1.3%, and represents a 5.3% increase over the first half of 2025, when 716,299 units were sold. In June alone, 126,778 units were sold, a 7.6% year-over-year increase.
The uptick confirms the resilience of private consumption in Mexico even amid commercial uncertainty tied to the annual USMCA review. According to Expansión, the Mexican Association of Automotive Distributors (AMDA) had forecast sales of 115,158 units for June; the actual figure of 126,778 units came in 9.2% above the association's own estimate. Guillermo Rosales Zárate, president of AMDA, noted that the semester's sales volume surpassed even the 2017 record. The automotive market remains one of the most reliable gauges of Mexican household spending.
Nissan led the market with a 16.8% share and 127,099 units sold, followed by General Motors (12.9%, 96,941 units) and Volkswagen Group (11.0%, 82,612), according to INEGI data reported by El Financiero. Toyota and KIA rounded out the top five, with 8.2% and 7.3% market share respectively. The most striking momentum came from Chinese brands: Geely surged 230.5% (23,121 units), MG Motor grew 19.6% (27,800 units), and Changan advanced 56.8% (11,325 units). Together, Chinese brands now account for more than 15% of Mexico's new light vehicle market.
With a cumulative 754,394 units in six months, Mexico's automotive market is on track to surpass the all-time annual record of 1.6 million units set in 2016, the best full year in the sector's history. July figures, which AMDA will publish in the first week of August, will confirm whether growth holds through the second half of the year.
This article was written with artificial intelligence assistance based on verified sources and reviewed by a human editor before publication.