In the last decade, the three US automakers (General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis) not only lost sales share in the Mexican market with the arrival of new Asian brands, but also reduced sales of Mexican-made cars by between 10 and 40 percentage points, according to Urban Science Latin America.
In contrast, the Asian brands (Toyota, KIA, and Mazda) managed to increase their presence in the Mexican market and, with the installation of manufacturing plants, consolidated their sales of Mexican-made cars.
Even though all three have production plants in Mexico and managed to expand investments to expand assembly, they lost sales of Mexican-made cars and began to prioritize selling vehicles from other destinations, such as China, as was the case with General Motors; from the United States, with Ford; and from Brazil, as was the case with Stellantis.
According to an analysis of Chinese car sales in Mexico conducted by Urban Science, 53% of the cars General Motors sold were manufactured in Mexico during the period from January to June 2016; however, by the first half of 2025, the strategy had changed, with only 11% being sold in Mexico.
Ten years ago, GM’s sales of Chinese origin were not included in its marketing platform in Mexico, but by the first half of 2025, it sold 74% of cars manufactured in China, commented Eric Ramírez, general director of Urban Science Latam.
At the same time, the increased penetration of Asian brands in Mexico led General Motors to lose 5.3 percentage points of sales in the Mexican market, from 18.6% of total sales in 2016 to 13.3%.
Chinese-made cars were not included in Ford’s sales in Mexico in 2016, but in the first half of the year, they reached 23% of vehicles sold. Meanwhile, vehicles manufactured in Mexico fell from 20% to 11% in a decade.
As a result, it went from having a 6% market share to a 3.6% market share from 2016 to 2025, losing 2.4 percentage points of presence in Mexico.
Stellantis’s case is somewhat similar: sales of cars made in Mexico fell from 24% to 21% in 10 years. While in 2016, units assembled in China were not present, they currently represent 10% of total sales.
Asian cars: Mexicans’ favorites?
The arrival of Toyota, KIA, and Mazda in Mexico marked a second phase in the automotive industry, with new options, such as the Toyota hybrid, which has led to a gain in presence, market share, and even the sale of more cars manufactured in their Mexican plants.
Eric Ramírez commented that KIA has stood out as a brand that has not only exported but also produced for the domestic market. In 2016, it went from 3% of its cars manufactured in Mexico to 65%, making it the third Asian brand that produces and sells the most cars manufactured in Mexico. However, it has also increased its sales of Chinese-made vehicles.
Although the three automakers have factories in Mexico, they have lost sales of Mexican-made cars and have prioritized selling vehicles from destinations like China.
Source: eleconomista
