Top 20 Best-selling Vehicles in Mexico in 2017: Nissan and Chevrolet Dominate

Mexico is part of North America, but the automotive landscape is different than the ones in Canada and in the United States. Very different.

Among the 20 best-selling vehicles in Mexico in 2017, there’s only one pickup truck, while small and affordable cars are the hot ticket. That’s quite a contrast compared to our market, where the most popular vehicles year after year are large pickups.

Thanks to their accessible prices, the most sought-after brands are Nissan with seven models in the top 20 list, Chevrolet with four, Volkswagen with three and Kia with two. Honda, Ford, Toyota and Mazda share the four remaining positions on the chart.

Here are Mexico’s 2017 top 20 best-selling vehicles. Don’t be surprised if you’ve never seen some of these models before, or if some remind you of a bygone era.

20- Kia Sportage
The Sportage is one of four SUVs in this list, and managed to get on said list thanks to a rise in sales compared to 2016. In Mexico, the base engine is a 2.0-litre four cylinder that develops 153 horsepower, while the upgrade unit is the same 2.4-litre four that serves as the Sportage’s base engine in Canada, producing 181 hp. It starts at MXN$355,900, or the equivalent of about CAD$24,863.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 20,278 units

19- Mazda3
Mazda’s compact car is one the most popular in Canada, and it’s doing well in Mexico, too. The fact that it’s built over there doesn’t hurt, either, as consumers are encouraging the local economy. As is the case in Canada, the Mazda3 offers a choice of two four-cylinder engines, with a displacement of 2.0 and 2.5 litres, producing 155 and 184 hp. It starts at MXN$272,900, or about CAD$19,065.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 21,885 units

18- Nissan Kicks
The subcompact Kicks crossover will soon be on sale in Canada, but it’s already available in Mexico, and it quickly became a popular vehicle. Like the Canadian-spec version, the Kicks is equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, although in Mexico, output is rated at 118 horsepower (instead of 125). It starts at MXN$298,000, or the equivalent of about CAD$20,818.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 22,438 units

17- Toyota Yaris
The Yaris sold in Mexico is a different car than the one we have here in Canada. It’s available in hatchback and sedan configurations, equipped with a 107-horsepower, 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine. However, there is a Yaris R variant available in Mexico, the equivalent of our Yaris sedan, which is in fact a “Toyota-ised” Mazda2. The Yaris starts at MXN$216,600, or about CAD$15,132.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 22,619 units

16- Nissan Tsuru
Do not adjust your screen or your eyeglasses. The Tsuru is in fact the third-generation Sentra that was sold in Canada between 1990 and 1994. For many years, this bare-bones compact allowed many consumers to purchase a new car at a very low price, and was popular with taxicab owners. However, new safety regulations in Mexico are forcing the Tsuru into retirement. Even at the end of its career, and despite a 50% drop in sales compared to 2016, it still managed to finish in the top 20. It was equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that produced 104 horsepower. It started at about MXN$140,000, or the equivalent of CAD$9,780.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 23,194 units

15- Chevrolet Sonic
If the Sonic is struggling to find a place in the sun on the Canadian market, Chevrolet’s subcompact is doing well in Mexico. It’s equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that develops 115 horsepower, and is only available as a sedan. It starts at MXN$209,700, or about CAD$14,650.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 24,357 units

14- Nissan X-Trail
If the X-Trail looks familiar, it’s because the SUV is now virtually identical to the Nissan Rogue sold in Canada. Over there, it gets a 140-horsepower, 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine or, ironically, a hybrid powertrain that we don’t have on our market. It starts at MXN$360,200, or about CAD$25,164.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 25,645 units

13- Volkswagen Gol
No, we’re not talking about the Golf, but the Gol, a smaller model available in hatchback and sedan configurations. Under the hood, we find a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 101 horsepower. It starts at MXN$179,990, or the equivalent of about CAD$12,574.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 26,867 units

12- Ford Figo
the Figo is the smallest car in Ford’s Mexican lineup, and the most popular. Available in hatchback and sedan body styles, it’s equipped with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine that develops 105 horsepower. It’s a basic car that perfectly targets the Mexican market. The Figo starts at MXN$186,000, or about CAD$12,994.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 27,144 units

11- Honda CR-V
It’s one of the most popular SUVs in Canada, and it’s the top-selling SUV in Mexico. It offers a choice of two powertrains, including a 184-horsepower, 2.4-litre four cylinder and, like in Canada, a turbocharged, 1.5-litre four that produces 188 hp. The CR-V retails from MXN$409,900, or the equivalent of about CAD$28,636.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 27,761 units

10- Kia Rio
the Kia subcompact’s sales more than doubled in 2017, likely thanks to its recent redesign. It’s equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, good for 121 horsepower. Like in Canada, the Rio is available in hatchback and sedan body styles. It starts at MXN$239,900, or about CAD$16,759.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 29,096 units

9- Chevrolet Beat
The Spark have been recently redesigned, Chevrolet cleverly kept the previous-generation model and gave it a new name. The Beat, available in hatchback and sedan configurations, offers a basic package at a very interesting price. Under the hood, we find a 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine that develops 81 horsepower. The Beat starts at MXN$143,700, or the equivalent of about CAD$10,034.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 40,220 units

8- Nissan Sentra
Ever so subtly, the Sentra sells relatively well in Canada, but the compact sedan is a popular choice in Mexico. Just like here, it’s equipped with a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, producing 129 horsepower, although the NISMO edition is available too, boasting a turbocharged, 1.6-litre four that’s good for 188 hp. The Sentra starts at MXN$253,700, or about CAD$17,723.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 42,746 units

7- Volkswagen Jetta
The compact sedan saw its sales drop sharply in 2017, compared to 2016, but is still part of the top 20 list thanks to its overall qualities and reasonable price. It can be equipped with the ancient eight-valve, 2.0-litre four that develops 115 horsepower, or a 2.5-litre five cylinder with 170 hp. It starts at MXN$239,990, or the equivalent of about CAD$16,766.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 45,246 units

6- Chevrolet Spark
Sales of the Spark dropped significantly in 2017, but that’s because it now shares the showroom floor with the Chevrolet Beat, which is in fact the previous-generation Spark. As is the case in Canada, it relies on a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine that develops 98 horsepower. It retails from MXN$189,900, or about CAD$13,266.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 46,990 units

5- Nissan March
Well, this one looks familiar. The March is identical to the Micra in Canada, and it’s equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that develops 106 horsepower. The March is as cheery as the Micra, and it starts at MXN$150,800, or the equivalent of about CAD$10,535.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 54,063 units

4- Volkswagen Vento
A car typically developed for markets like Mexico, the Vento offers an attractive style, interesting available features and a low price. It’s equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that develops 105 horsepower, but a 1.5-litre turbo-diesel four with 110 hp is optional. The Vento retails from MXN$209,990, or about CAD$14,667.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 63,402 units

3- Chevrolet Aveo
Here’s another small car from Chevrolet that sells well—very well, actually. However, this one isn’t young anymore, as the Aveo was sold in Canada from 2004 to 2011. Old or not, the Mexican market likes this little sedan, which is equipped with a 1.6-litre four cylinder that produces 103 horsepower. An all-new Aveo has just been launched, but the old model starts at MXN$178,600, or about CAD$12,477.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 65,772 units

2- Nissan NP300
Full-size pickup trucks outrageously dominate the sales charts in Canada and in the United States. In Mexico, however, the NP300 is the only pickup that managed to break the top 20, and even succeeded in taking the second step on the podium. It’s equipped with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 166 horsepower, but a diesel 2.5-litre engine with 161 hp is available as well. The NP300 retails from MXN$266,700, or the equivalent of about CAD$18,632.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 76,267 units

1- Nissan Versa
We got the second-generation Versa sedan between 2012 and 2014, before it was replaced in Nissan’s lineup with the Micra. In Mexico, the four-door Versa is a hot item, equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine that develops 106 horsepower. It starts at MXN$183,100, or about CAD$12,791.
Sales in Mexico in 2017: 93,041 units