Although the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) dipped slightly from 1.97 to 1.9 million between July and August, in terms of overall performance, last month continued this year’s trend of robust demand for new cars and light trucks in Canada. According to data compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, compared with August 2013, demand was up 7.9 per cent, driven to a large extent by a growth of 14.1 per cent in light truck sales.
In terms of the overall numbers among the OEMs, Ford Motor Company of Canada posted the highest totals for August, recording sales of 27,969 units, though Chrysler Canada was right on its heels with 26,682 units sold for the month. General Motors rounded off in third place with 22,111 sales.
While the Detroit brands might have led the way in terms of overall volume in August, in terms of growth the biggest news lay with Import nameplates. Aided by the introduction of its new Macan crossover, Porsche saw a whopping 65 per cent growth in sales over last August, retailing 521 units (compared with 314 in August 2013). Mitsubishi was another, perhaps surprising performer, witnessing a 48.9 per cent increase in demand over August 2013. The automaker has been pushing a raft of aggressive marketing and incentive programs in Canada, amid a familiar model lineup.
Audi, after having witnessed fairly modest growth this year, also saw big gains in August, with 2,271 units represent a 31.7 per cent jump over the 1,724 units sold during the same period in 2013.
Nissan, Land Rover and BMW were other brands that resonated strongly with Canadians in August, while declines tended to be few and in most cases rather modest.
Overall, August continued to paint a very healthy picture for Canadian new vehicle sales, which have continued to set records throughout 2014, paving the way for a very strong, if not record year in terms of overall demand.
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