There are three Tulums in Mexico. The superb Mayan ruins are the only ones that are on the coast, overlooking the turquoise Caribbean. To the south, the Zona Hotelera is famous for its eco-chic small hotels and guest houses. Puebla Tulum is the actual town, where the folks that make the beds and cook the meals for the tourists live. And as appealing as the first two are, I’m always drawn to the gritty back streets of Mexican towns for the local architecture, cheap but good food, and of course, the cars. And not just old ones, as the carscape of Mexico is a tasty salsa of the familiar and the unusual.
Even though a I showed you a VW in the top shot, I’m going to be doing a separate post about Mexican VWs, so it’s the only one you’re going to see here. How about a Mercury Topaz in a wonderful shade of deep blue? Did they sell Mercuries in Mexico? Hmm.
The do sell SEATs in Mexico, although they’re none too common. Here’s a Córdoba, based on the VW Polo platform, but with a hefty trunk. The Córdoba was phased out in Europe a few years back, but is still being produced in Mexico for the domestic market.
This Nissan van looks a bit elderly, similar to the ones sold briefly in the US back in the eighties. But with these kinds of vehicles, as well as many Mexican ones, it can be hard to place the date as they were often produced in or for second and third world countries well beyond their primary careers.
American cars were once predominant in Mexico, but have increasingly faded to the fringes of the market. Here’s one of several Cavaliers, along with a VW Pointer. But the Pointer in Mexico is not the Ford Escort-based Brazilian VW (yes, it gets confusing in Latin America), but a VW Gol badged with the Pointer name. Or is this not a Pointer? I’m already confused.
The Hyundai Atos (also called Atoz), and its current successor, the I10, are very popular in Mexico. Rightfully so, as they’re among the cheapest cars available, yet quite roomy. These little tall-boy hatchbacks have a surprising amount of interior room, and along with the similar-format Daewoo Matiz/Chevrolet Spark are the legitimate successors to the VW Beetle in terms of a functional basic transport.
The VW Caribe is of course a Mexican Golf/Rabbit, built from 1977 through 1987.
For all the houses and hotels along the beach at least, potable water is either harvested rainwater or trucked in; most commonly a combination of the two. Here’s the fleet that does the delivering, with the one in the center being the most interesting.
It’s a Dina, but most us know it is the classic International Loadstar. Dina built these with its own rather crude fiberglass one-piece front end. Like so many older Mexican trucks, it has a smoky diesel engine with a distinctive hoary sound.
An elderly VW Type 181 (“Thing”) that looks like its not in front line duty anymore.
Although the Ford Transit vans are coming to the US to replace the Econoline, we’ll only be getting the RWD versions. The rest of the world has a choice of RWD or FWD, and the dead rear beam axle on this one makes it clear this one is FWD. Lower floor height, I assume.
Nowadays, “Chevy” in Mexico mostly means re-badged Opels and Daewoos. This common sedan is based on the Opel Corsa.
This “Chrysler” was the only one of its kind I saw. And this dog was quite atypical too, quite unlike most Mexican street dogs.
The hatch version of the Corsa-based Chevy. The bowtie has replaced the Opel lightning bolt in its circular badge.
Another aging Americano.
These double-cab Rangers are quite popular here, as are other brands. Doesn’t leave much cargo room, but that’s a cute little topper on it.
That’s a mighty fine stone arch gracing this Chebbie truck.
In 2012, the VW Jetta has finally overtaken the evergreen Nissan Tsuru (it gets its own CC this week) as the best selling car in Mexico. But it must be more popular in the big cities, as this one was the only one I saw on my stroll, a GLI no less. Not a common sight, at least not in these parts. But the Mk4 is still being built as the VW Classico, which is what I got for my rental car. It wasn’t exactly fresh, with over 100k km on the odo, but still rolled along quite happily at 150 km/h on the toll road from Valladolid to Cancun. The $18 toll is obviously way too steep for most folks, as the road was virtually deserted except for a couple of guys on bicycles riding the wrong direction in the left lane(!)
Here’s the second generation Daewoo Matiz, badged as a Chevy. The all-new version, as now sold in the US, is also quite common already.
Unfortunately I didn’t get a shot of a Ramcharger version of one of these Dodges. Just like the old two-door big SUVs of yore, but based on this generation Dodge.
A late-version Ford Tempo.
This is the more typical “pickup”; just don’t ask which brand. Generic. Chevy, quite likely.
This Ford is the long wheelbase version. Odd to think that this global phenomena started in the US with the designed-for-America VW Rabbit (Caddy) pickup.
If the earlier VW wasn’t a Pointer, this one is.
But the Pointer has now been replaced with the new Gol, eliminating at least some of the confusion.
Peugeot still has a presence in Mexico, albeit it a rather modest one.
A cheerfully-painted bronco II. It’s parked in front of a construction site where some ritzy new building is going in. Since the beach area of Tulum is very pricy, Tulum Puebla is starting to get more attention now.
Renault Kangoo on the roll.
A nicely color-coordinated old Suburban. Gas is not cheap in Mexico, so these big tanks are expensive to feed.
Bimbo, Mexico’s version of Wonder Bread and Hostess. This Fiat Ducato will be sold soon in the US as a Ram. The Euro-van invasion is underway.
Cars in Mexico are either white, or very colorful, like this old Cherokee.
Hardly a typical sight, and out of commission, form the looks of it. Behind it is a Ford Ikon, a sedan version of the older-gen Fiesta.
A Nissan Urvan.
No comment needed.
The repair shops are typically modest in scale. This one specializes in bikes.
This very elderly Nissan had just pulled in, so it’s still in service. I also spotted a gen1 510 out in the country.
Another Atos with a couple of bigger vans, which puts it in perspective. I haven’t seen an early version of a Windstar in a while back home. Maybe the Mexicans have learned how to keep them going, despite the overwhelming odds. Rarely has a vehicle had both an engine and transmission so utterly guaranteed to grenade.
This is hardly a comprehensive review of the cars of Mexico; just the results of a short stroll. Seeing as I was on vacation with extended family, I didn’t stop for a number of interesting cars along the road. But there will be some more posts this week on a few individual cars that caught my interest. Hasta luego.
They did sell Mercuries in Mexico but they wore Ford badges. In CA and AZ I’ve seen a fair number of Ford Topazes and Grand Marquis and more than a couple Lobos.
Last time I was in MX, which was 2004, Lobos were everywhere. I couldn’t figure out how they were any different from F-150 quad cabs, which I also sometimes saw on the roads.
Oh the fabulous Seat Córdoba. That one looks exactly like the one my brother has, with the 1.6 liter engine.
SEATs are imported in México because they are a Spanish brand (or at least that’s what SEAT says here).
Nevertheless, it is nice to see almost the full range of vehicles there. Except the diesel ones, all of them are powered in Europe with the same VW-Audi TDI powertrains
That first Nissan van is similar to, but definitely not the same as the one we got here in the US. As can be (ironically) seen here: http://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-1987-nissan-van-how-did-this-turkey-escape-the-crusher-or-oven/
That stone “arch” is terrifying. It’s structurally pretty much the opposite of an arch. Looks like a good stiff wind or a tree branch could scatter it like the pile of dominoes it resembles.
My better half was just in Tulum visiting her parents. She brought back the latest issue of ‘Automovil’, which has detailed, in-depth comparison ‘mega-tests’ to rival those of the UK’s Autocar. Their website isn’t much to look at, but the mags themselves are well worth a read, especially so for the diverse nationalities and specs (from first- to third-world) of the cars sold there.
As for ‘Chryslers’, Paul, see many Hyundais badged as Dodges during your stay? I understand they sell pretty well.
Yes, many. Especially as rentals. And they don’t even bother taking off the “H” Hyundai emblems off anymore.
I knew about the Attitude/Elantra, but I didn’t know the i10 is sold with an incredibly subtle “by Dodge” badge alongside complete Hyundai badging. So weird for Hyundai and Chrysler to be mixing their brands and products just over the border from the US. But then Mexico’s car market is full of surprises…
Please, remember what I’ve been commenting several times, that Mexican government did a lot of wrong things at the start of the decade of the sixties, and US luxury marques had to vanish from the country, leaving the space for the most modest to fill in the gap. Chevrolets, Fords and Dodges took the place once Cadillac, Lincoln and Imperial had in our country and the policy makers had to figure out how to level all the offers from the car industry. That is the main reason why Topazes and Grand Marquises were badged Ford instead of Mercury, and Centuries and Cutlasses were Chevrolet instead of Buick or Oldsmobile. “Chrysler” is now generic for all Dodge, Plymouth and any Pentastar vehicles from any year, and by any year I mean 1920’s to 2012! But not all the vehicles are white or colorful. The blue Cherokee is imported from the US. That model was never sold in any Mexican Jeep dealer. And Paul is right when he says he is confused, but we’ve grown accustomed to the whims of the Mexican president in turn.
I hope you guys soon come down to México and see for yourselves the treasures we have in our country, very similar to what you see in the United States and Canadá, only in a minor extent, due to the buying power of the people, which is far from those of our northern neighbors.
I hadn’t heard of a Pointer before so it may be the same as a Polo IV which is what’s in that picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Polo_Mk4
It is the Polo Mk IV shown in the photo as the original one had rectangle headlights. The Pointer has been replaced by the Gol.
It is interesting that given the number of North American brands produced in Mexico, that there are not more of them sold and driven there.
That Topaz… Never realized how much they look like the Wixom-built 91-97 Town Cars. Very classy styling.
Is that first bland gray generic looking sedan a Cavalier or Sunbird? Not sure if they sold Sunbirds as Cavaliers down there or if that one just happened to be a combination of the duo, a Chevy with the Pontiac tail panel.
Its fun to see the other makes and the cars that survived down there vs. what we typically see here in New England.
It does have a Pontiac tail, but it said “Cavalier” on it.
We got the Sunbird as Cavalier in Venezuela too. For a short period of time.
Paul, thank you, this is a good shot of Vitamin C (for cars) on a foggy, dreary morning. This, combined with the auto mag my parents gave me from their recent trip to South Africa, has got me in the mood for a good road trip.
Glad you survived your stroll, gringo. Those little Atos are used in Bogota as taxi cabs. Except they’re re-badged ‘Chebbies’, i believe.
This reminds me of some time I spent in Peru last year. The mix in Mexico seems to skew newer. I saw quite a few older cars and especially trucks, both in the city and countryside.
Paul’s shot of Ferrotlapaleria “Abana” made me laugh. It seemed like every place like that I saw had a shiny new printed vinyl sign. It would say something like Lubricentro “Didi” with a giant stock photo of bikini-clad “Didi.”
I also spent some time visiting in Peru and took notice of the cars there. What was interesting to me was the number of ancient (and in some cases very well maintained) Japanese and American cars. I had to ask my wife-a native-what the deal was. Apparently, cars are typically much more expensive there than in the US in terms of what you get for the money. And repair work can usually be done dirt cheap at some grease pit. Evidently, they don’t charge $70+ per hour for labor in Lima. So, whereas we would throw our old cars away when the tranny craps out because it’s not worth dumping $2-3k into an old Taurus, they can limp them into the shop for repairs for next to nothing and drive them for years to come.
At my job about 2/5 of my work group on routes is Hispanic and I’ve had some enlightening conversations about cars and life in general in Mexico. I asked one of my coworkers why would you put a $1500 paint job on a $2k car, he told me its more like a $500 paint job south of the border.
There are a lot of vehicles that while unreliable could be kept running for a long time if parts are reasonable and the shop labor rate was $10/hr.
I don’t think there would be too many places where cars are cheaper than the USA
I liked seeing that along with the oldies that are limping along, others are well-tended as their owners clearly expect many more years out of them. Not a great pic, but here is “El Javiercito” in the town of La Merced.
In developing countries, it is all about repairability. You’d never see a Taurus in a developing country as it would be seen as too difficult for own for the long term. The great mass of the old cars I have seen in SE Asia were RWD Japanese stuff from the 1970s: basic, low tech, reliable and above all, easy to fix. The Corollas made in the Philippines, for example, still have carburetors in the taxi models.
As for automatic transmissions,they are very rare in any working vehicle in SE Asia and at least 70% of private cars are manual transmissions.
That very old Datsun was a Stanza over this way total POS but lots got sold
Okay, I’m just going to say it: did the Seat have soft Corinthian leather?
I’m guessing not.
Very good joke, indeed!
Lol 😀
The truck to the right (photo right) of the Dina, looks like a pickup cab with an IH front end
Good eye! Looks like the one up against the wall is an 80s F series cab with a Harvester nose job too.
the burgundy VW it’s a Mk4 PolO, before the facelift.
the white chevy small pickup it’s guess what, a Corsa pickup. i guess in Mexico it’s called Tornado (or just the newer ones that look like a Corsa C), and the white ford that shares the look of the ikon it’s called Courier.
i not so sure about the corsa one, but the Courier is build in Brazil to this day.
About the Pointer/Gol affair, the Pointer was the name for the Gol for export/spanish speaking markets…
But Gol would be a great name in Spanish-speaking markets!!!
PS: I see in the Wikipedia the VW Gol is indeed one of the most popular cars in Latin American history.
Selling donuts out of a Hyundai Atos.
In my twin excursions through Mexico in ’83 and ’91, Renault, Nissan/Datsun, VW, were big sellers. Toyota was absent. The various Korean and Spanish cars were not there yet. Body repair shops were also a distant dream. 2lb sledges and bail wire took their place.
I marveled at the ingenuity of the average Mexican. You would sometimes encounter a big old broken-down truck, shored up precariously within the acute angle of a steep switchback highway, in the middle of nowhere; the engine torn down and being rebuilt right there in the wind and rain, inches from the ongoing traffic!
I share your fascination with the back sides of Mexican towns and avoided all tourist destinations.
I also recall that Ram Charger was more than the model name of a shortened Dodge pickup. It was a pretty good description of the driving technique of the then newly affluent Mexican driver.
Has anyone here seen a VAM Lerma in the wild? A minor obsession of mine (for no good reason)…
I’ve never seen one, or been to Mexico (or anywhere south of Delaware), but I just felt like clarifying what a “VAM Lerma” is for anyone reading this who is unfamiliar with this strange automobile…
VAM is Vehiculos Automotores Mexicano – the former “People’s Car” manufacturer of the Mexican Republic. They built AMC’s under license starting in the 1960’s and the Lerma was the most ambitious project they ever undertook. It combined (literally) the pragmatism of an AMC Concord two-door sedan’s front half with the fun and fancy free hatchback bobtail of a Spirit’s rear end. Sounds ridiculous but it actually ended up looking kinda cool, in my opinion at least. They only made the Lerma for a year or two, during which time it was the highest priced and most decked out VAM available. Check the picture below and cut it some slack, I couldn’t find one in better condition than this!
Mexico ended up paying Renault to take over VAM, who then immediately shut it down, though I would assume they kept the factories and dealership network intact for their own purposes. VAM had started building Renault cars under license instead of AMC’s in the mid-80’s.
Over the years I’ve read a few times that since Mexico didn’t have real emissions regulations back then, VAM had developed several high performance versions of the AMC six with twin-carb setups and crossflow heads. Could just be an urban legend, but Wikipedia does mention that VAM had a bored-out version of the six up to 4.6l (282c.i.) Who knows…
Look at this crazy thing:
It wouldn’t surpise me if they made a 4.6l version of the AMC six anyone can do it by the crank and rods from a 258 in a 4.0l block with the stock 4.0l pistons.
That Crew Cab Ford Ranger is an interesting find. I had no idea Ford made a crew cab Ranger and now I must question why they never released it here. When I look at how we’ve been so shortchanged on interesting models here in this country that the rest of the world gets, I no longer am shocked why Americans have drifted over into buying foreign. This Ranger Crew Cab could have been a good seller here; the Colorado and Canyon Crew Cabs can be seen everywhere. I own a 2006 Colorado Crew Cab and love it for it’s ability to haul 4 adults in relative comfort and carry a load of firewood at the same time!
They did they just called it the Explorer Sport Trac and used Explorer sheet metal since they thought the could sell it at a higher price.
Interesting finds.
I was always under the impression that Chrysler had a bigger presence down there, at least that’s the impression I got from all the Youtube commercials I have come across for Mexican-market Chryslers.
I’m curious about one thing, seeing how there has been so many things in the news this past year about the crime level down there, how did it seem while you were there???
I have to admit, these pics reminded me a lot of pics I have seen taken by missionaries in South America.
The Yucatan Peninsula has a very low crime rate. For some reason, it has avoided the problems that have affected certain other parts of Mexico. I feel very safe there.
Occasionally I see Mexican tourists around here in some interesting Peugeots: I spotted a Grand Raid a while ago and at one point saw a 206CC on the freeway.
Is the Windstar the worst thing Ford ever built?
It may have my vote.
Tulum is in the territory (or once was, it may now be a state) of Quintana Roo. Back in 1979-80 it was a duty free zone to encourage the building of Cancun. You will see cars in this part of Mexico that y9u won’t see in the rest of the country.
While riding into Mazatlan on the hotel shuttle bus some years ago, my wife was intrigued by the sight of several very small Ford 3-Door hatchbacks. As we drove past one parked at the curb, she asked me what it was. “Oh,” I responded, “That’s a Ford Ka.”
She immediately hit me on the arm and said “I know it’s a CAR! What kind of car is it?”
(Photo courtesy of autoweb.co.uk)
When my family went to Monterrey in 1957, I swear half the cars on the street were Mercury’s. They represented every model year and every last one was black and gleamed like a mirror. I had never seen a ’47 Merc not in shambles and they were especially eye catching. The only thing I could figure was that the Mercury Monterey, debuted in 1952, was considered to be a compliment to the city and led to mercmania.
Great article. Couple of things, the Seat Cordoba sedan came first and then VW rebadged it as Polo sedan. The Polo hatchback was a different story.
The first Pointer is (as mentioned above) a VW Polo.
Your white little pickup with no brand is IIRC a Chevy Tornado (or Montana in South America)
On the trucks, it is not uncommon to see old truck with steel front ends converted to fibre glass noses. Some conversions have happier ends than others.
Those Chevys that you showed are the major facelift made over there. But as the Mexicans told me when I went there, the first nail i the Vocho coffin was the Chevy and the Tsuru lo remato.
The condition of the cars here in the 1st world is infinitely better than in the 3rd world.
Nice post on cars in Mexico.
It was common for U.S. manufacturers in the 1970s-90s to mix and match parts on some of the models they offered in Mexico.
I remember the 75-79 Chevrolet Nova sometimes came with Buick Skylark and Apollo noses.
Similar things happened with the GM “A” cars of the mid-80s, Pontiac, Olds and Buick trim on cars sold as Chevrolets.
Dodges and Plymouths were sold as Chryslers in the late 80s and 90s (I had a 1997 Chrysler Neon).
Some clarifications about the photos.
The SEAT Cordoba was made in Spain. Discontinued a couple of years ago. SEAT’s may not sell very well in Tulum, but in Mexico City they are quite popular.
The generic white micro pickup was based on the 1993-2002 Opel Corsa, currently replaced by a Chevrolet Tornado (a Chevrolet Aveo-based pickup).
The red VW hatchback behind the white and primer Cavalier is a previous-generation VW Polo made in Europe. It was only sold for a couple of years because it got too expensive.
The VW Pointer occupied the bottom rung of VW’s model offerings. It a was designed in Brazil (where it was called the Gol). Take off the body and underneath is a mid-1980s VW Fox (remember them?).
They still sell the Renault Kangoo in Mexico but unfortunately they discontinued the passenger version. The Peugeot Grand Raid is very similar and sold in cargo and passenger versions. Something like the Toyota Avanza but FWD.
The car that replaced the VW Beetle (the real one) as the nation’s ubiquitous taxi is the indestructible Nissan Tsuru (1992-199? Nissan Sentra). Although recently replaced as Mexico’s top-selling car by the Chevrolet Aveo, it’s still in the top 5 in sales.
Interesting models not sold in the U.S.:
Ford Fiesta Ikon – it the Gen 4 Ford Fiesta now imported from India.
Suzuki Swift – not the early 90s Geo Metro but the one currently sold in Asia and Europe. Nice car.
Fiat Panda – Italian city car that the 500 was based on. A beautiful box on wheels.
Fiat Palio Adventure – Mid-90s car Fiat designed for the 3rd world. Station wagon tarted up as an off-roader.
Fiat Linea Dynamic – Same as the Palio but pretends to be an upscale sedan.
Fiat Strada – Palio-based pickup.
SEAT Ibiza – Based on the current European VW Polo but a lot prettier.
VW Polo – VW just put the new VW Polo on sale in Mexico – turbocharged 1.2 liter.
Audi A1 – Audi’s entry-level car based on the VW Polo.
Alfa Romeo – Mito, Giuletta and 159 (very rare).
Dodge Attitude – Rebadged current model Hyundai Accent with 1.4 and 1.6 motors.
Dodge i10 – Rebadged Hyundai i10. Highly rated City Car in Europe.
Honda City – Mechanically based on the Fit but carrying a conservative 4-door sedan body.
Mercedes-Benz – Both the A Class and B Class front-wheel drivers are sold. Not very popular.
Mercedes-Benz – G-class (Geländewagen) – super-tough off roaders mostly used to visit upscale shopping malls.
Mitsubishi L200 – bizarre-looking crew-cab pickup.
Nissan March – Nissan’s entry in the City Car market.
Peugeot – 207, 308, 508, 3008, RCZ.
Renault – Duster (The Dacia Logan SUV). Made in Brazil.
Renault Sandero – Dacia Sandero made in Brazil.
Renault Scala – 2002 Nissan Sentra made in Korea as the Samsung SM-3. .
Renault Fluence – Old Nissan Altima made in Korea as the Samsung SM-5.
VW CrossFox – Brazilian designed minicar sold in Europe as the VW Lupo. This version has a raised suspension and plastic off-roader trim.
VW Saviero – Pickup based on the current VW Gol.
For Dave Skinner. I own a 2006 Ford Ka. Absolutely the most entertaining car I have every owned. Light weight, peppy motor, very short gearing and very direct steering, brakes and transmission.
Chris, you should write an encyclopedia about Mexican cars! You are absolutely right as to the models sold south of the border. Sometimes it is complicated to figure out which make is which, and also, which is part of an US make and which from Europe, Asia or South América. One thing is clear, the Mexican market is very wide and exports many cars to the rest of the world, and in the big cities you see lots of late models in the streets. The cars and the backgrounds are from a little town near the Riviera Maya, a ritzy touring resort. This kind of towns are almost the rule in rural México, but bear in mind that the country now has a very fluent middle- middle-upper and upper classes whose members can afford almost any vehicle they desire. Big cities, as México City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Tijuana, Puebla, Ciudad Juárez, Veracruz, Chihuahua, Acapulco and the like are modern and with roads full of cars of all makes and years, as you can see in the image of an open road in Chihuahua. Bumper to bumper traffic in the morning as well as in the evening is a common sight in this freeway, which connects the uptown neighborhoods from the west with downtown Chihuahua.
Juan – Thanks for the compliment. I’m a car nut who has lived for 34 years in the Distrito Federal. As you mentioned, brand engineering is big here. Remember the Nissan Platina. No one here would believe me that it was a Renault Clio with a trunk added on. Lots of people bought them because they were Nissans (thinking they would get Nissan reliability) who would never touch a Renault. Strange.
In the bad old days before they opened up the automotive market in 1987, the selection of cars you could buy in Mexico was very limited. I remember a former boss of mine buying a 1979 or 1980 VAM Rally AMX (an American Motors Spirit – nee Gremlin fastback) with a 4-speed manual and the 282 cu. in. (4.6 liter) inline six and thinking it was a sports car!
One of my fondest memories of visiting Mexico City in 1971 was taking taxis. They were all 1940s and 50s American cars. I’d go all over town changing cabs trying to ride in as many different models as possible.
Indeed, Chris! I’m always fascinated by old Mexican movies from those years which depicts all kind of cars. I would like to have been there in that time, but, perhaps, I would have been fond of carriages and stagecoaches! You are absolutely right as to the limited offers from automakers here. As stated in other article here, VAM tried to get some attention with the Lerma, a car that came in 2- and 4-door versions. Well, it was all matter of forward vision of the men in the government in turn. Too bad that it happened, because I think we Mexicans lost too many years, models and makes to build up a good education as to preserve and keep the cars in better conditions for the new generations to see. By the way, in the photo above, in the low speed lane and in fifth place, is a Renault Clio, cloned out from a Nissan. And indeed, you are a car nut and have a great experience in auto issues in Mexico. I hope you come up with more updates in the future.
I know that this story is really old, but I just want to add to Chris’s comment above.
Here’s some other cars that are not sold on the US.
Chevrolet:
Captiva Sport – A Vue with another name is still a Vue. Replaced by the Equinox redesign, but there might be a few still sold in dealerships.
Matiz – Imagine the smallest car of Korean steel you can find, and with the Daewoo badge changed to Chevy. That’s it. The predecessor to the Spark. Killed off a year ago, it was replaced by the 2015 Spark, known as the Spark Classic, coming from India.
Optra – In India, this was marketed as “The Luxury Car, by Chevrolet”. It’s actually a Forenza/Lacetti. Only available in sedan form, though. Replaced by the Cruze.
Epica – Sold only to business fleets, this was the successor to the Suzuki Verona. Technically replaced by the Malibu.
Chevy – Basically the Chevrolet everyone knows. An Opel Corsa B sold for nearly 20 YEARS. First available in 3-door and 5-door hatches. Near the turn of the millennium, it got sedan (known as Chevy Monza), ute (known as Chevy Pick-Up) and wagon (known as Chevy Wagon) forms. The ute and wagon were killed off soon, but the sedan stayed. In 2009, it got a redesign that looked like a 2008 Malibu front was stretched and then squeezed. Replaced by the Aveo.
Corsa – The supposed successor to the Chevy, it was eventually just sold alongside it.
The first generation Montana in itself was kinda sorta based off the Chevy/Corsa, but not really. It’s really hard to explain. The second generation Montana was based off the Chevrolet Agile, which was more directly based off the Corsa. In Mexico they were named Tornado, due to the Pontiac Montana being sold here.
And the other Opels:
Meriva
Tigra
Zafira
Astra
Vectra
The Agila wasn’t sold here, though.
Aveo – The, IIRC, second most-popular car on the market. Known for being quite unsafe. It’s latest redesign looks quite ugly, especially compared to the Sonic and even some of GM Mercosur’s cars. A Mexican car blog says that it will be replaced by the next generation Chevrolet Prisma, to be built in 2019 in one of GM’s Mexican plants.
We didn’t get any of GM Mercosur’s cars. If this means GM considers Mexico to be a market above the Mercosur, I do not know.
Renault: ALL OF IT.
Volkswagen:
Pointer – As said in the story, it’s a Gol. Also available in Pick-Up and Wagon forms.
Gol – Read above.
Saveiro – Gol Pick-Up basically.
Jetta – Yes, I know. But I need to talk about it here because the Jetta was one of the most popular cars in the market. The 4th generation, that is. The fifth was available as the Bora and the sixth as the Jetta. In the early 2010’s, the named changed to Clasico. Replaced by the Vento. And now that we’re talking about it…
Vento – Made in India, it’s available over there since 2011, but we got it until last year. Also known as the Skoda Rapid in India.
Nissan
Aprio – First generation Dacia Logan. Came and went in a few years. Replaced by the Tiida/Versa.
Platina – First generation Renault Symbol. It was very popular in its first years, but then its popularity waned. Also replaced by the Tiida/Versa.
March – The Micra with another name. It’s supposed to be replaced in a few months or a year.
X-Trail – In its first two generations, it was an off-road crossover, something like a Nissan version of a Jeep Patriot. Now its a Rogue.
Hyundai:
Grand i10 – Built in India, its available in hatchback and sedan forms. The sedan is a rebadged Hyundai Xcent (No relation to the Accent, aside from its classification, from what I know of).
Dodge (Side note: The rebadged Hyundais are gone. Here’s what replaced them):
Attitude – Formerly an Accent sedan, now it’s a rebadged Mitsubishi Attrage/Mirage G4. Most of FCA Mexico’s sales are because of this, I believe)
Vision – A rebadged Fiat Grand Siena, it’s supposedly a step above the Attitude.
Neon – No, it’s not the Neon revived (well, technically it is, but not like that), it’s a Fiat Tipo sedan rebadged. It’s priced a bit less than other compacts like the Cruze and Focus.
Ram:
Ram 700 – A Fiat Strada ute with Ram badging/. Available in normal cab and “Club Cab” variations.
Ford:
Figo – Also from India, it’s available in hatchback and sedan variants. It had a cool ad campaign featuring Mexican personality/kind of celebrity (could a TV host be considered a celebrity?) Carlos Perez “El Capi”, host of “La Resolana”, basically a broadcast TV version of The Soup.
Transit Custom – A FWD, smaller version of the Transit. They should’ve brought over this one to the US instead of the Transit Connect for the passenger version.
Ranger – The global midsize pickup from Ford. Next generation is coming to the US.
Peugeot: ALL OF IT.
Smart
Forfour – This city car was co-produced with Renault, and Renault’s version was the new Twingo.
So there you have it. The cars not sold in the US but in Mexico yes.
Thanks for the clarification!
You’re welcome! Are you surprised by any of the facts that I told you? It would be good if you tell me.
I just rediscovered this article while researching Mexican IH Loadstars. In my opinion the Dina flip front is more attractive than the very blocky Fleetstar style flip front the later US Loadstar used since Dina’s version follows the original shape of the butterfly hood front sheet metal.