Last month, Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited said it sold 20,565 vehicles which not only enabled it to retain the top sales spot but also represented a seven per cent increase year-to-date. Passenger cars rose by 17 per cent, while truck sales were up 4.5 per cent. Year to date, overall vehicle demand is up 0.5 per cent with 239,747 registrations so far this year, versus 238,494 in the first 10 months of 2011.
The biggest winners have been the compact Focus (which Ford reported sales increases of 50 per cent) and also the sporty Mustang, which witnessed gains of 104 per cent. Despite a significant refresh for the 2013 model year, the Mustang is now one of the oldest cars in Ford’s current lineup, with the next generation model not likely to debut for at least 18 months. Nevertheless it continues to find buyers, even though overall demand for sporty cars in North America has dropped significantly in the last few years. Truck sales continue to be resilient — Ford sold 15,623 units last month, while the 3.5-litre EcoBoost V6 engine now accounts for 39 per cent of all F-150 sales in Canada.
“Fuel economy continues to be a key purchase consideration for consumers,” remarked Diane Craig, Ford of Canada CEO “and we are offering consumers the power of choice with the EcoBoost engines, hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrids.”
Ford’s redesigned 2013 midsize Fusion sedan and the introduction of its C-MAX hybrid and plug-in Energi models are seen as key pillars in the company’s growth strategy moving forward, especially in North America as fuel economy standards become tighter in the coming years.
