Auto sales down 5.9% in May as downward trend continues
The dip in May marked the 15th consecutive month of sales declines when compared with the previous year
TORONTO—DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says light vehicle sales fell an estimated 5.9% in May from a year earlier as a downward trend in Canadian auto sales continued.
The automotive consultant says light vehicle sales totalled about 202,800 for the month, down from 215,407 a year earlier.
The dip in May marked the 15th consecutive month of sales declines when compared with the previous year.
A consumer shift away from passenger cars towards generally higher-emission SUVs and pickup truck options continued in May, with car sales down 17.4% for the month while light truck sales declined only 0.4%.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles saw sales drop 25.4% from a year earlier for the biggest drop in sales. The dip comes as FCA is in talks on a merger with French producer Renault.
DesRosiers says General Motors, which switched to quarterly reporting in April, saw sales drop an estimated 12.5%, while Honda was down 4.9% and Ford slipped 1.6%. Toyota, the fourth-biggest seller in Canada, saw sales climb 9%.
