Fears around sputtering Canadian economy not hitting cars sales
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
Automakers reported strong growth in June 2015 sales, with one notable exception
TORONTO—Canadians don’t seem to be taking their concerns about the Canadian economy into the dealership with them.
With overall auto sales up 1.2 per cent in June, according to DesRosiers Automotive, automakers haven’t felt the consumer spending freeze that often accompanies an uncertain fiscal outlook. Though passenger car sales fell 11.7 per cent, light truck sales – the category that also includes SUVs – accounted for the loss, gaining 11.5 per cent.
General Motors led the pack in monthly growth. The fastest growing automaker in Canada saw a 15 per cent sales increase in June versus a year ago.
“We are pleased that our market share is growing in Canada. In June, we continued to see resilience in Canadian consumer auto purchases, with particular strength in the western provinces,” John Roth, vice-president of sales, service and marketing for GM Canada said in a statement.
Toyota also logged strong June numbers, recording 10.5 per cent growth in sales against 2014. The company’s Lexus brand in particular is outperforming last year, with sales up for the ninth consecutive month and 25.8 per cent versus last June.
BMW sales also grew by 2.7 per cent against June of last year, Honda sales by 2 per and Fiat Chrysler sales by 1 per cent, which translated to the company’s best June performance since 1985.
The one major automaker to fall significantly short of its performance in 2014 was Ford. The company, which announced a recall for nearly half a million cars July 2, saw sales drop 13 per cent. The company’s truck sales declined 11 per cent, while its car sales dipped 19 per cent.
