Focus on Canadian immigration and life in Canada: According to a Reuters report on January 9, data shows that the number of vehicles purchased by Canadians in 2013 hit a record high. Local consumers, undeterred by high debt levels and slowing economic growth, continued to purchase trucks and luxury cars; however, cold weather limited purchasing volume in December.
According to data released by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, Canadian auto sales in December rose 3.8% to 113,036 units, bringing the total annual sales for 2013 to 1.74 million units, a year-on-year increase of 4%, which exceeded the previous record set in 2002.
Truck sales grew by 6.9%, while passenger car sales remained almost flat. The discrepancy was even more apparent in December, with truck sales rising by 14.4% while sedan sales shrank by 9.7%.
Although Ford Canada's sales in December were lower than the same period last year, it remained the best-selling automaker in the Canadian market in 2013; thanks to strong truck sales, its overall sales grew by 2.7%.
Chrysler ranked second, with its Canadian sales increasing by 4.7% in December and 6.6% for the full year, driven by strong demand for Ram trucks.
The automotive consulting firm DesRosiers stated: “2013 should be attributed as the year of the truck. The sales of the F-150 alone exceeded the combined sales of all Kia, Mazda, and Nissan models.”
General Motors saw the largest increase in the Canadian market in December at 17%, with a 4% increase in annual sales, ranking third. Its Cadillac brand saw local sales grow by 44.6%.
Toyota stated that its Lexus luxury brand saw a 1.7% increase in local sales, ranking fourth. Other luxury brands, such as Land Rover, Porsche, and Jaguar, all achieved double-digit growth.
Ford stated that its 2013 sales in the Canadian market hit a record high since 1997, and its F-Series pickup trucks led all other models in sales for four consecutive years. Sales of the company's Fusion and Escape models also reached record highs.
Honda indicated that its Civic model has been the best-selling car in Canada for 16 consecutive years. Its monthly sales rose slightly to 13,316 units, bringing total annual sales to 164,236 units.
Data shows that Ford's sales in Canada fell by 4.2% in December to 16,161 units, but total annual sales were 283,588 units, an increase of 2.7% over 2012.
Chrysler's December sales were 15,445 units, with annual sales of 260,015 units; General Motors' December sales were 17,036 units, with annual sales of 234,944 units; Toyota's December sales were 12,348 units, with a 2013 annual total of 193,360 units.
Ford previously stated last September that it would invest 700 million Canadian dollars (approximately 659 million U.S. dollars) in its Oakville assembly plant, mainly because vehicle demand in the U.S. market has grown to levels seen before the recession.
