Cars: With discounts of more than 10% they close the February sales

Three days after closing the month, The car market shows positive numbers If you compare it with a year ago. Patentings are growing by Up of 90% against 2024 and this will be the best February since 2018 in 0km sales.

From the association that groups the concessionaires (ACARA) They estimate that the final volume will be 40,500 patented cars. It could be a little more if the patent plates and the problem of registration of vehicles in the automotive records was noted.

This is an issue that has long been aggravated or improved according to the weeks. Anyway, it generates delays and reduces the final number of patents. It also hits credit operations – more than half of the market – since the garments cannot be scored.

Beyond this, the feeling in the sector is that the demand is maintained above the beginning of 2024 and with a recovery quite similar to what happened in the last part of last year.

A factor that improved the weather has to do with the low tax in recent months. The elimination of country tax and internal changes. There was a transfer at prices of that fiscal reduction and took people to the agencies to consult.

This is key to sellers of cars Because without the audience in the premises it is very difficult to specify sales. With interested the desk on the other side, it will depend on the commercial proposal that is made and the seller’s ability to close a sale. This is an issue that is marking the market in recent months and that in February was evidenced more.

While operations are at a good pace, taking into account the reality of the last six or seven year, These volumes are being achieved with important discounts on list prices What concessionaires do.

Until 2023, it was difficult to buy a 0km without envelopes. The fall in the activity and the lack of vehicle supply due to the importing stock that the Kirchner government implemented caused the seller to put the market conditions.

You can hardly find better years in terms of profitability per unit sold as the period between 2022 and 2023. For the owners of concessionaires they were golden years.

Today the reverse situation happens: it is difficult to find models that do not have discounts on the list price. The removal of the restrictions to import increased the offer of vehicles and factories and dealers fight to sell.

The buyer is, these days, who has the last word. Almost all brands are selling with 10% average discounts on the official value. A little more or a little less depends on each model. It is greater in segments such as the pickups.

In an interior Ford concessionaire, for example, they recognized that Ranger sales are “almost” at cost. “We started the negotiation with 10% below the list price. Then we see how far we have to get to not lose the operation. The margin we have, regarding the price we buy from the factory, is 13% or 14%. In some cases we do not stretch until that limit and we end up changing the silver. Without profitability. So we are working in these days,” said the owner of the agency.

In other brands, such as Volkswagen, Renault, Honda, Nissan, Peugeot or Toyota, the situation is repeated. What varies is the discount percentage made by each concessionaire or brand, according to their financial needs.

From a Honda Federal Agency, they explained a similar scene. “There are agencies that are bursting cars at cost. Luckily, we didn’t needar that extreme. We have a margin from 6% to 8%. From there we have to discount all fixed costs. We won very little, “explained the manager.

In most concessionaires they admit that “there are plenty of cars.” Obviously, there are exceptions according to models and brands. According to information published yesterday in social networks, based on survey with its partners, Consumers would be postponing their purchase decision waiting for low prices.

0km prices in Argentina. They are above other markets and there is a lot of expectation (and claim) by customers to lower prices.

From sales networks they recognize as just the claim, but they are stuck saying that there is not much more margin to lower prices.

“We are selling most of the models at the cost of replacement. One more point, one less point. It is little that we can do on our side, because we cannot sell at loss for a long time. If some taxes were well lowered, more than half of the sale value of a 0km remains the state,” said the owner of a group of multimarca concessionaires.

The businessman explained that people’s expectation is valid, but reality shows that it will be difficult for a significant improvement for prices to feel. “There is no room for factories to increase prices. We are very ajstados. What can happen is that prices are stabilized in these values ​​and that the greatest financing makes it easier to buy a car. Thinking that cars can drop 10% or 15% list price is impossible. Unless taxes lower. The ball does not have the private sector “he added.

What everyone agrees is that the growth of financing and the greatest competition that will be for the importation of vehicles, will become more competitive to the market. So, consumers’s speculation is logical to postpone the purchase because they can get better conditions in two or three months.

Punctual marketing strategies that announce some type of discounts may also appear, although not of the desired magnitude. Some brands are negotiating with their manufacturers abroad.

This may be good for the buyer, because I could find some punctual discount, but always within limited percentages.