High-end vehicles in Ecuador also have their own market, and as in other categories, 2023 is a year marked by sales growth. According to figures from the Association of Automobile Companies of Ecuador (Aeada), 1,015 units of 18 premium brands present in the country were sold from January to August.

This represents 65 units more than the 950 sold in the same period in 2022, representing an increase of 6.84%.

The ‘best tested SUV’ at the Indonesia International Motor Show will be available at the end of the year in Ecuador

Sales were the deciding factor for brands to give the green light to their expansion projects. This is the case of Rosati Motors, the distributor of premium brands such as Maserati, Lamborghini, McLaren and Karma in Ecuador, which with an investment of more than 500,000 USD announced the opening of a sales point and its first workshop in Samborondón by the end of the year. this year..

Rendering of the new dealership that Rosati Motors will open at the end of this year in Plaza Moderna, in Samborondón, where top brands such as Maserati, McLaren, Lamborghini and Karma will be available. Photo: courtesy of Rosati Motors

“Guayaquil currently buys the same number of cars as Quito and that’s why we decided to open a sales and service location to better serve our customers on the coast,” explained Jimmy Ballesteros, manager of Rosati Motors.

He announced that the new dealership will be located in Plaza Moderna and will be the first in the Costa region, since five years ago the brand arrived in the country with its first branch in Quito. The idea of ​​opening a store on the Coast was considered since the arrival of the brand, but the plans were changed due to the pandemic in 2020.

“The idea from the beginning was to have two sales points: first Quito and then Guayaquil. Unfortunately, the pandemic postponed those plans to open a second location. Samborondón is ours goal customers, that’s why the store is there,” explained Ballesteros.

Twelve models will be offered at this new location: four from Maserati, three from McLaren, three from Lamborghini and two from Karma. The prices of these vehicles range between 100,000 and 600,000 dollars.

Growth shows recovery after the pandemic

With the sales growth shown in 2023, it is possible to exceed the pre-pandemic figures with an increase of 11.54%. These four years also reflect the ups and downs in the marketing of these vehicles:

Going back to 2023, when 1,015 premium vehicles were sold by August, of the brands sold by Rosati Motors, Maserati is the one that ranks best in top from Aeada: in eighth place, with 24 units sold from January to August, 4 less than in 2022, but 17 more than in 2021, when only 7 units were sold. Followed by McLaren, in twelfth place, with one unit sold. While Lamborghini has no registered sales in 2023 or 2022, but has sales in 2020 and 2021, when 2 units were sold in each of those years.

August saw the second consecutive decline in vehicle sales this year, although electrified vehicles maintained a 54% growth trend

Ballesteros pointed to uncertainty as a key factor in the decline in sales. “Sales in 2023 are reduced compared to 2022 due to the uncertainty the country is in,” he assured.

In the meantime, top The category is led by German Mercedes Benz and American Jeep with 236 and 217 units sold, respectively. In third place is German Audi, with 213. And in fourth, also German BMW, with 204. To leave British Land Rover in fifth place, with 34 units sold.

These are the brands and sales of premium vehicles in Ecuador, from January to August 2023:

Jesús David González, head of marketing for the Jeep, RAM, Fiat and Dodge brands, indicated that four models of the Jeep brand are sold in Ecuador: Compass, Wrangler, Gladiator and Grand Cherokee, but announced that by 2024 the portfolio will grow.

“We will stay like this lineup by the end of the year. By 2024, we will increase the portfolio; We are also present with the Dodge brand and the Durango model. The segment of premium vehicles represents growth in relation to the accumulated result from August 2023 in relation to 2022; In the 2023 monthly report, it shows highs and lows, with month-to-month differences averaging eleven units,” explained González.

New investments will depend on sales

As for new investments, the manager of Rosati Motors indicated that “for now there is no intention to open a third location”, although he did not rule out the possibility of opening new plants in Cuenca or Manta in the future. This will depend on the behavior of the premium vehicle market, which, according to Ballesteros, is also venturing into new technologies with electrified cars, a trend that is reflected in other vehicle categories.

Electrified vehicles have grown by 44% in sales and already have a 9% market share

These new technologies are present in Maserati with two models mild hybrid (without connection) that the brand already offers in Ecuador. The Italian company’s 100% electric SUV and sports car are also expected to arrive in 2024.

The British McLaren is not far behind, which expects the arrival of the plug-in hybrid model in Ecuador by the end of this year, as well as the plug-in hybrid model of the Chinese Karma. While the Italian Lamborghini promises hybrid models for 2024 in Ecuador.