Auto sales rise in April in Canada—what’s trending with car companies?

Did you happen to purchase a vehicle in April? If so, you weren’t the only one! Interestingly enough, car sales increased last month; just in April, Canadian vehicle sales jumped up 5.7 percent compared to the previous year. Who was the leader of the pack? Keep reading to find out!

RECENT TOPIC: New CEO for Canada Basketball and other females in charge

According to Dennis DesRosier, an auto analyst, Canadians purchased a record 189,072 cars and trucks in April, with GM being the most popular manufacturer, selling 29,127 automobiles. It seems that despite the brutal winter and low oil prices, there was still a need for automobiles, which had Canadians fleeing to dealerships.

RECENT TOPIC: How CEOs can protect themselves from fraud

However, General Motors isn’t the only company that has reason to celebrate. Premium vehicles also saw an increase in sales, as MINI, Porsche, BMW, Lexus and Volvo all seemed to have models that were in high demand.

Specific numbers show that FCA Canada Inc. was also up in numbers from last year, selling 27,473 vehicles. Honda was also able to see in an increase in sales with a 5.6 percent jump or 14,447 total units sold. As well, Chrysler was up 51 percent this year in passenger cars, selling midsized Chrysler 200s, Brampton-built Chrysler 300s, Dodge Chargers and Dodge Challengers. However, the biggest performer was Jeep branded vehicles, which sold 7,486 models.  

RECENT TOPIC: How one law firm achieved gender parity (and 3 tips to manage your talent)

The common trend

It’s clear that even though automobile sales increased as a whole, consumers wanted something in particular this winter: light trucks. In total, 109,814 light trucks were purchased—an 8.5 percent increase from last year. So, the question stands: did Canadians migrate towards this type of vehicle due to the harsh weather or are trucks simply just a more popular automobile choice?

RECENT TOPIC: Travel much? Three business accessories every CEO needs

Let's Connect!

Read the latest edition of Business Review Canada!