Financed vehicle sales grew 12.8% in the 1st quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. In total, credits were granted for the purchase of 1.89 million units. The sum includes light cars, motorcycles and heavy vehicles, considering new and used.
According to the balance made by , the number marks the best performance for a 1st quarter since 2008, when 2.037 million units were financed.
According to the data, from January to March this year, the leadership in vehicle financing continues with used models, which accounted for 1.21 million units, while new vehicles totaled 675 thousand units. In comparison with the 1st quarter of 2025, there was growth in both used products, with an increase of 12.2%, and new ones, with an increase of 14.1%.
The survey showed that the majority of operations are for sales of light vehicles, which represent 1.31 million units financed, an increase of 12.4% in the comparison between the quarters.
Motorcycles totaled 510.6 thousand units, an increase of 18.1% compared to the first quarter of 2025. Heavy vehicles reached 69,300 financings, an increase of 3.9% in the same period.
“The advance was observed in all regions of the country in the comparison between the first quarter of 2026 and the same period in 2025. The Northeast led the percentage growth, with an increase of 16.6%, followed by 15.3% in the Central-West (15.3%), South (11.8%), Southeast (11.7%) and North (9.4%) in the North”highlights Trillia.
Direct Consumer Credit, traditionally offered by banks and financial institutions, totaled 1.619 million units financed from January to March, an increase of 14.3% compared to the same period in 2025.
The consortium reached 261.9 thousand units, with growth of 5.5%, while the types of leasing and other types of financing recorded volumes of 12,300 and 10,300 units.
According to Trillia’s Product Superintendent, Daniel Takatohi, the 1st quarter showed a consistent expansion of credit for vehicle purchases, with growth spread across all regions of the country.
“This movement reinforces the trajectory observed over the last year and points to a more favorable scenario for the automobile market”he states.
When analyzing the month, March 2026 registered an increase of 27.6% compared to March 2025, with a total of 703 thousand units financed in the month. Compared to February 2026, growth was 22.2%. According to Triilia, this was the best result since August 2011, when 729,687 units were financed.
“The March result was driven by both new and used vehicles. Among new vehicles, financing increased from 206 thousand units in March 2025 to 267 thousand in March 2026, an increase of 29.7%. In the used segment, the volume rose from 345 thousand to 436 thousand units in the same period, an increase of 26.4%. In comparison with February 2026, the growth was 30.3% for new models and 17.7% for used ones”reveals the balance sheet.
Among light vehicles, March registered 480.6 thousand financings, an increase of 27.7% compared to March 2025, with 376.3 thousand units, and an increase of 21.0% compared to February 2026. Motorcycles totaled 192.3 thousand units, growth of 27.9% compared to the same month of the previous year and 23.7% compared to February, while heavy vehicles reached 28,700 financings, an increase of 24.5% in the annual comparison and 37.4% compared to the immediately previous month.
Price hike
The monthly monitoring of Table Auto B3 shows that, in March, the vehicle market registered an upward movement in transaction prices, following the adjustments observed in previous months. The behavior was different between new and used vehicles, with greater intensity of increase in the 0 km market and predominant stability in the secondary market.
New vehicles
In March, 0 km vehicles showed an average increase of 0.86% in transaction prices. The advance was observed in most segments, with emphasis on mid-size pickup trucks, SUVs, hatchbacks and sedans, as well as crossovers and pickup trucks derived from automobiles.
Compact pickup trucks stood out as an exception, registering a steeper drop in the period. The movement indicates price recovery, in an environment of less promotional intensity and more balanced demand in some segments.
Used vehicles
In the used car market, March was marked by greater price stability, with a slight average increase of approximately 0.18%.
The behavior was quite moderate between segments, with small positive and negative variations.
The main highlight was the performance of mid-size pickup trucks, which registered a more significant increase in value, while other segments, such as hatchbacks, SUVs, sedans and vehicles derived from automobiles, presented fluctuations close to stability, between slight increases and marginal drops.
This text was originally published by on April 13, 2026, at 1 pm. The content is free for republication, the source is cited, and has been adapted to the standard of Poder360.
