WHEN it comes to the U.S. auto industry, it seems all we read and hear about in the news is doom and gloom, yet according to Canadian auto analyst Dennis DesRosiers, April was a great month for vehicle sales in Canada.
"April is one of the critical four spring months (March to June) where Canadians are in the vehicle markets in a very big way," said DesRosiers in a recent press release. "So a strong April bodes well for sales on the year."
Toyota, which set a sales record in April, selling 25,441 cars, credits concern over fuel prices and hot sales of the Yaris sedan, above, for the increase.
April sales were 175.2 thousand units, or an increase of 3.7 per cent from the 169 thousand units sold in April of 2007.
Year-to-date sales are also up 6.1 percent to 539,011 units, surpassing the best first four months in our history back in 2002 when we sold 525 thousand during the first four months.
Why? is the big question and DesRosiers pointed to a number of factors. First and foremost are prices; factory MSRP figures are roughly five per cent cheaper than last year. Availability is also a factor -- as the U.S. continues to struggle, Canadian sellers of vehicles built abroad are in a better inventory position this year than in previous years. There is also a belief that high gas prices are pushing some consumers off the couch in search of ways to lower their overall cost of ownership.
According to DesRosiers, the actual economic numbers in Canada this year are still reasonably healthy, job numbers are still strong and in response to the US threat interest rates are falling. Add in a near-par dollar (what's behind better pricing) and it makes for a window of opportunity for vehicle sales in Canada.
-- Paul Williamson
April
| 2008 | 2007 | 08/07 | 2008 | 2007 | 08/07 | 2008 | 2007 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acura | 2,222 | 1,670 | 33.1% | 7,235 | 5,875 | 23.1% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| Audi | 1,128 | 799 | 41.2% | 3,062 | 2,415 | 26.8% | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| BMW | 2,310 | 2,258 | 2.3% | 6,145 | 6,775 | -9.3% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Chrysler | 24,136 | 22,514 | 7.2% | 78,906 | 75,603 | 4.4% | 14.6% | 14.9% |
| Ford | 20,991 | 21,973 | -4.5% | 67,768 | 67,305 | 0.7% | 12.6% | 13.3% |
| General Motors | 38,599 | 44,651 | -13.6% | 121,284 | 125,608 | -3.4% | 22.5% | 24.7% |
| Honda | 16,412 | 13,447 | 22.0% | 51,775 | 39,599 | 30.7% | 9.6% | 7.8% |
| Hyundai | 9,412 | 7,235 | 30.1% | 25,641 | 22,537 | 13.8% | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| Infiniti | 903 | 714 | 26.5% | 2,785 | 2,338 | 19.1% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Jaguar | 113 | 82 | 37.8% | 325 | 289 | 12.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Kia | 3,719 | 3,318 | 12.1% | 10,879 | 9,543 | 14.0% | 2.0% | 1.9% |
| Land Rover | 202 | 353 | -42.8% | 834 | 897 | -7.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Lexus | 1,558 | 1,309 | 19.0% | 4,412 | 4,126 | 6.9% | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Mazda | 9,115 | 10,341 | -11.9% | 28,712 | 28,090 | 2.2% | 5.3% | 5.5% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 1,869 | 1,530 | 22.2% | 5,864 | 5,126 | 14.4% | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| MINI | 456 | 373 | 22.3% | 1,153 | 1,071 | 7.7% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Mitsubishi | 1,936 | 1,953 | -0.9% | 6,237 | 5,223 | 19.4% | 1.2% | 1.0% |
| Nissan | 7,946 | 6,741 | 17.9% | 24,876 | 23,739 | 4.8% | 4.6% | 4.7% |
| Porsche | 226 | 233 | -3.0% | 632 | 639 | -1.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Saab | 140 | 197 | -28.9% | 383 | 622 | -38.4% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| smart | 359 | 252 | 42.5% | 1,113 | 635 | 75.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Subaru | 1,970 | 1,456 | 35.3% | 5,979 | 5,164 | 15.8% | 1.1% | 1.0% |
| Suzuki | 1,451 | 1,155 | 25.6% | 3,839 | 3,587 | 7.0% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Toyota | 23,883 | 19,934 | 19.8% | 65,835 | 56,318 | 16.9% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| Volkswagen | 3,382 | 3,501 | -3.4% | 11,147 | 11,723 | -4.9% | 2.1% | 2.3% |
| Volvo | 767 | 995 | -22.9% | 2,190 | 3,097 | -29.3% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Light Vehicle Sales | 175,205 | 168,984 | 3.7% | 539,011 | 507,944 | 6.1% | ||
| Passenger Car | 98,327 | 92,641 | 6.1% | 288,385 | 259,789 | 11.0% | 53.5% | 51.1% |
| Light Truck | 76,878 | 76,343 | 0.7% | 250,626 | 248,155 | 1.0% | 46.5% | 48.9% |
| GM/Ford/Chrysler Nameplates | 83,726 | 89,138 | -6.1% | 267,958 | 268,516 | -0.2% | 49.7% | 52.9% |
| Import Nameplates | 91,479 | 79,846 | 14.6% | 271,053 | 239,428 | 13.2% | 50.3% | 47.1% |
Source: DesRosiers Automotive Associates
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