A slight hiccup in December sales, the first year-over-year decline in 32 months, caused some concern that Canada’s three year run of record sales might be coming to an end.
If so, it’s not apparent in January sales, which soared 9.6 per cent above those for the same month in 2015.
Sales of 108,553 new cars, trucks and utility vehicles in January fell slightly short of the all-time record for the month (110,266 vehicles) set in 2002, according to data from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.
But they were the best for any January since then and 15 per cent above the average month over the past five years, said David Adams, president of the Global Automakers of Canada.
Just as important, the seasonally adjusted annualized sales rate (SAAR), which had been on the decline since October, bounced back to 1.94 million — ahead of the 1.89 million record set in 2015. One month doesn’t define a year, but it’s a good way to kick off 2016.
TIGHTENING AT THE TOP
FCA was again the best-selling automaker for the month, though its sales of 18,156 units were up just 0.6 per cent, lagging the overall market increase.
Ford ranked second with a 14.1 per cent jump to 16, 637 units but third-place General Motors made the biggest improvement among the Detroit Three with a 24.3 per cent jump to 14,395 sales.
Toyota (+5.1 per cent) maintained its traditional fourth-place ranking but Honda, in fifth, made the biggest improvement of all with a 36.8 per cent jump in sales.
Behind those five came Nissan (+17.5 per cent), Hyundai (-3.8 per cent), Kia (-2.8 per cent), Volkswagen (-17.61 per cent) and Mazda (+5.6 per cent).
TRUCKS, UTILITIES DRIVE THE GAINS
Sale of trucks, including CUVs and SUVs, drove January gains, with sales up by 17.0 per cent. Passenger car sales again declined, by 3.8 per cent.
Truck and utility sales accounted for more than two-thirds of the market — 68.8 per cent — an increase of 4.3 per cent from a year ago.
[NOTE: Data quoted in this report were sourced from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, Global Automakers of Canada and individual automakers.]
