Opinion – Eduardo Sodré: Volkswagen Gol closes the first half of July as sales leader

The Volkswagen Gol was once again the protagonist of the market. The compact had 5,778 licensed units and was the most sold in the first half of July, according to a survey carried out by the Autoinforme agency based on Renavam (National Registry of Motor Vehicles).

In June, the model had reached the second position, behind the Fiat Strada pickup, which starts at R$93,890. On the Volkswagen website, the hatch price starts at R$ 75,490.

It is not, however, a return to the past of glories. The current generation of Gol is about to be discontinued, and the result is now due to deliveries made to rental companies and other companies that deal with fleets.

According to Fenabrave (association of distributors), 81% of the 9,435 Goals awarded in June were sold through direct sales. That is, most customers use CNPJ instead of CPF. The same goes for the Fiat Strada.

The good number of July should not be repeated next month. Volkswagen will give 20 days of collective vacation in August to 800 employees at the Taubaté plant (São Paulo countryside). That’s where the Gol and the Voyage sedan leave.

The reason for the pause is the shortage of semiconductors, a problem that has accompanied the industry throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

The VW compact is the best-selling model in history in Brazil. Since its launch in 1980, about 7 million units have been shipped. The current generation was released in 2008, going through mechanical and styling modifications since then.

Gol was the sales leader for 27 years, until it lost the position in 2014, when the Fiat Palio took first place. The Volks compact will be discontinued to make room for the Polo Track, which will be produced in Taubaté from 2023.

But the name must remain alive in the market. The automaker is preparing the arrival of a new model with off-road style, and the expectation is that it will be baptized as Gol.