May auto sales: Honda and Subaru up; Mazda down
by CMO Daily staff
Honda and Subaru are posting strong Canadian sales for May. Mazda is off, due to a drop in sales of Mazda5
MARKHAM, Ont.—Honda and Subaru are reporting strong Canadian results in May, while Mazda is slightly off.
Honda Canada Inc. posted a 22 per cent jump in units sold, compared to the same month last year.
Its Honda and Acura divisions sold 16,723 vehicles combined, with Honda taking the heftier share of 14,680.
“The spring selling season is underway and this is the type of momentum we really like to see,” said Dave Gardner, vice-president of sales and marketing with Honda Canada Inc.
Honda Fit sales have more than doubled year-over-year, according to Honda. The CR-V and Pilot posted their best year-over-year figures for May.
Sales data included the following highlights:
• Honda Accord sales hit 1,902 in May, versus 756 in May 2012;
• The Fit was up 109 per cent with 809 units sold;
• Honda CR-V jumped 31 per cent, with sales of 3,661, compared to 2,796 last year;
• The Pilot had its best May yet (580 units compared to 501 last year);
• Honda Odyssey sales were up 45 per cent (1,318 versus 911);
Of all Honda and Acura vehicles sold in Canada in May, 95% were produced at the company’s assembly plants in North America, the company reported.
Subaru breaks record
Subaru Canada also had a strong May—its best on record, with 3,603 units sold; an increase of more than 28 per cent over May 2012. Year-to-date sales are up more than 15 per cent.
Leading the charge is the 2014 Forester, which saw a jump of more than 44 per cent, with 1,118 units sold.
Subaru WRX and WRX STI sales increased by 10.7 per cent, and BRZ sales climbed over 14 per cent above target.
Mazda slightly down
Mazda Canada saw a slight dip in May. It posted sales of 6,904 vehicles; a two per cent drop over May 2012. But year-to-date sales are holding steady at 30,324.
Sales of the Mazda5 were off more than 50 per cent, at 236 units sold, compared to 505 in May of last year. The Mazda3 was off by about five per cent (4,002 compared to 4,240).
On the plus side, sales of the all-new SkyActiv Mazda6 continued to increase, with a seven per cent gain over May 2012. Sales of the Mazda2 and MX-5 were also up (13 per cent and 37 per cent respectively).
The CX-5 was another bright spot, with 1,851 units sold over the 1,308 last year—its best month on record.
Of all the vehicles sold in May, 64 per cent are equipped with the fuel-efficient SkyActiv technology, according to Mazda.
