Argentina builds cars mainly for export, and mainly for its neighbour. Roughly two-thirds of the vehicles assembled there leave the country, with Brazil the destination for most of them under the Mercosur trade arrangement that lets the two economies trade vehicles and parts at low or zero duty. That relationship shapes what gets built: plants specialise rather than cover a full range, and a model made in Argentina is usually not made in Brazil.
Pickups are the clearest example. Volkswagen builds the Amarok at General Pacheco north of Buenos Aires, Toyota builds the Hilux at Zárate, Ford builds the Ranger at Pacheco too, and Nissan built the Frontier alongside it. Stellantis, Renault and Mercedes-Benz run the other major sites. Local content rules and a long history of currency controls have kept manufacturers investing in the country in cycles, with large announcements clustered around periods when import terms are favourable.
