São Paulo The gap between vehicle sales and production in Brazil is greater than official figures suggest. This is the vision of Ricardo Gondo, president of Nissan do Brasil. The executive, who took office just over two months ago, sees problems in the advancement of the CKD and SKD regimes, in which cars are imported in parts or partially assembled.
According to official figures from Anfavea (association of automakers), the production of light and heavy vehicles registered an increase of 8.7% between January and September, with 2.17 million units manufactured. However, Gondo states that, when excluding the CKD and SKD processes from the account, the increase is 2.5% compared to the first nine months of 2025.
In the same period, sales accumulated an increase of 18.1%, with 2.26 million units registered. "The good news is that the market is growing, with expectations exceeding 3 million units sold in 2026", says the president of Nissan do Brasil, without hiding his concern about the direction of the sector.
"The market this year is quite complex, with rapid transformations taking place", says the executive, using as an example the changes in consumer preference, who previously opted for sedans and now desire SUVs. "The transition happened gradually, but the speed changed."
Gondo says that this variation in pace began less than three years ago in Brazil, and the reason lies in Chinese advances. The public embraced electrified models, and the intensity of this phenomenon cannot be matched by the always conservative Japanese industry.
Much of the growth in the participation of the CKD and SKD regimes comes from there, driven by the assembly lines of BYD in Camaçari (BA), GWM in Iracemápolis (interior of São Paulo), Geely in São José dos Pinhais (PR) and the Chinese trams of General Motors assembled in Horizonte (CE).
"The automobile industry involves an extensive value chain. For every job we create, there are nine or ten others in this chain. If we are bringing in from outside, there is no job creation in Brazil", says Gondo.
The executive defends the existence of an industrial policy and praises incentive programs such as Move Brasil. "If there weren't these programs, would we be expecting a market of 3 million units sold? I don't think so."
Despite increased competition and criticism of the Chinese manufacturing strategy, Nissan is experiencing a good moment in the country. 65,640 vehicles were produced at the Resende (RJ) plant between January and September, an increase of 29.5% compared to the same period in 2025.
The brand hopes to maintain its growth rate, but, with the end of the 6x1 scale, it needs to readjust its industrial activities.
"I think there is no discussion here. In all the countries where Nissan operates, we have to adapt to the rules of the game for industry, for services, for everyone. We are ready to adapt", says the president of Nissan Brazil.
"There was already a plan prepared [for the end of the 6x1 scale] and we will implement it", adds Gondo. The executive also states that, in the short term, the change in labor rules will have an impact on costs.
While production grows, sales remain basically at the same level as last year, with a drop of 0.2% year-to-date. The number seems strange, but it is explained by the end of imports of the Sentra sedan, which came from Mexico, and the closure of the automaker's factory in Argentina, where the Frontier pickup truck was produced. There are therefore fewer products available.
There was also an increase in exports. The Japanese automaker sent 14,716 cars to 13 countries in Latin America between January and September, which represents an increase of 145% compared to the same period in 2025. The Brazilian factory has gained relevance in the region.
But the president of Nissan do Brasil does not rule out that some products arrive in the country following the CKD and SKD regimes. The automaker has studies on the topic, although there are no definitions yet.
In August, the company confirmed that it will have six launches in Latin America in the coming months, three with hybrid or purely electric technologies. The list has not yet been revealed, but it should include models of Chinese origin such as the N7 electric sedan.
