The market grows 10% and hits record in may

Balance sheet released yesterday by Fenabrave-the entity that houses the car dealerships-confirmed that the auto industry's sales are heated. Last month, the industry registered the best may in history in car plates issued, while the trucking industry remained in the path of recovery.
In total, Brazilians bought 316.2 million vehicles in may, between cars, light commercial trucks and buses. The volume was 10% above the performance of a year before, when 287.4 thousand units were sold. In April, there were 5.2% drop in licenses, but this comparison is compromised by the unfavorable calendar since may, due to two holidays, had one working day less than a sale.
The performance takes the accumulated sales in the first five months of the year to 1.48 million vehicles, an increase of 8.6%, almost double the goal outlined by the industry for the year: high in the range of 3.5% to 4.5%.
But analysts note that this evolution was, so far, achieved on a low comparison base, referring to a period in which sales had the encouragement of reduction in tax rates in the tax on industrialized products (IPI). From this month, the trend is for lower growth rate. Some experts still bet on a stagnation, or even decline, the market until the end of the year.
Considering only the segment of passenger cars and light-commercial advantage discounts at IPI-, sales totaled 300.6 million units last month, slightly up from 300.5 thousand units of the same month of 2011, which was, until then, the best may in history.
In comparison with the same period last year, sales of cars rose by 9.6%. Already for the previous month-the best April ever for automakers, there was the fall of 5.1%.
In the ranking of the brands, the novelty was the General Motors (GM), which, with the renewal of its portfolio, the surpassed Volkswagen and closed may with second place in sales, accounting for 17.9% of the market. VW had 17.8% of the total emplacado last month and was in third place, although it is ahead of its American competitor in the year. Fiat remained handily in the lead, accounting for 22.6% of sales in May. In the wake of the success of the best-selling car room HB20 of country-, Hyundai went back to fifth place, biting a 6.3% share of the market.
The survey also shows that Fenabrave 12.7 thousand trucks were sold last month, a high of 17.8% compared to the previous year. Between January and may, this heavy vehicle sales reached 61.3 thousand units, which configures a growth of 4.1% compared to the same period in 2012, when the industry felt the thud of introduction of a new engine technology, which made it less polluting trucks, but up to 15% more expensive.
Volkswagen follows as the best-selling truck brand this year, with 27% of the accumulated plates issued until May. As a result, Mercedes-Benz, owner of 25% of the market.
The Fenabrave also reported a drop of 13.1% of motorcycle sales last month, compared to the same period in 2012. In total, there were 130.2 million licensed motorcycles in may, 7.6% below the volume traded in April.