Fiats are very popular in Brazil, maybe too much so. According to the website of the Public Safety Office of the state of São Paulo, a survey conducted by the company Ituran, which recovers and locates illegally detained vehicles, revealed a 2% increase in car theft or robbery cases in the capital of São Paulo in the months of January and February. The figure may not be frightening, but the 2% increase is relative to an already alarming absolute number, 134,000 in 2023. Consider that since 2014, there has been an increase in customers for companies that locate stolen vehicles, almost exactly parallel to the growth of the auto market.
Fiat cars among the most stolen in Brazil: theft cases increase
São Paulo is a state in the southwestern part of Brazil between the Atlantic Ocean and the Paraná River. It is the largest in Brazil by population, given that it has 21.9% of the Brazilian population, which is about 44 million people. In other words, it is the most important and populous agglomeration in Brazil, one of the BRICS countries, to give a geopolitical context.
Regarding crimes in the city and metropolitan area, the research showed a decrease in car thefts or robberies in the first two months, with particular attention to the Fiat Uno (-27.3%) and Ford Ka (-26.3%) models. On the other hand, the Fiat Strada and Argo models saw an increase of 91.1% and 42.4% respectively. 2024 really seems to be the year of the Italian car manufacturer.
The research obtained the data by comparing the cases registered in the months of January and February of 2023 and 2024. Among the ten most stolen cars, the Volkswagen Gol, Chevrolet Corsa, Chevrolet Onix, Fiat Uno, Ford Ka, and Volkswagen Fox models recorded a decrease compared to last year.
Entering the top ten are the Hyundai HB20, Fiat Palio, Fiat Argo, and Fiat Strada, which have recorded an increase in theft cases. The complete list sees, in detail:
- Volkswagen Gol: 488 (-10,3%)
- Chevrolet Corsa: 466 (-1,1%)
- Hyundai HB20: 459 (+6,7%)
- Chevrolet Onix: 433 (-13,6%)
- Fiat Uno: 384 (-27,3%)
- Fiat Palio: 372 (+5,4%)
- Ford Ka: 305 (-26,3%)
- Fiat Argo: 299 (+42,4%)
- Volkswagen Fox: 236 (-8,9%)
- Fiat Strada: 235 (+91,1%)