Canadian auto dealers have best sales month ever
197,937 cars and light trucks purchased in May
Canadian car and truck buyers crowded into auto showrooms in record numbers in May as the industry reported its best sales month ever.
Figures compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants showed that Canadian consumers bought 197,937 new passenger cars and light trucks in May. That was up 1.1 per cent from last May's strong sales showing.
- Strong demand for vehicles shortens planned summer shutdowns at car plants
- Record 1.8 million vehicles sold in Canada in 2014
"The Canadian new vehicle market remains to be on track for the best-selling year ever," said a statement from DesRosiers.
The consulting firm said year-to-date sales are up 3.0 per cent over last year to 755,582 units.
Fiat Chrysler said its Canadian sales of 31,617 units in May were the highest for a single month in the company's history. The company recently completed a retooling at one of its plants in Windsor, Ont., which had cramped its supply of minivans.
"Posting an all-time record sales month while dealing with temporary constraints on some of our highest selling products proves just how diversified and strong our product portfolio has become," chief operating officer Dave Buckingham said in a statement.
That number was good enough for Fiat Chrysler to take the sales lead from GM Canada, which reported 27,462 sales, a jump of 3.8 per cent from last May.
Ford Canada sales slipped 8.5 per cent in May to 29,043 units. Earlier today, Ford said it would run one of its Oakville, Ont., assembly plants for an extra week this summer to deal with demand for its Edge sport utility vehicle.
Toyota Canada and Honda Canada both reported sales dips of 0.7 per cent and 4.0 per cent, respectively, to round out the number four and five sales spots.
Luxury vehicle brands like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Land Rover, Infiniti, BMW and Lexus all enjoyed a strong month, with all reporting that Canadian sales in May surged higher by double-digit percentages from last year.
U.S. sales stronger
South of the border, U.S. auto sales were stronger than expected in May, boosted by Memorial Day promotions and strong demand for new SUVs.
U.S. sales rose two per cent over last May to more than 1.64 million cars and trucks, their fastest pace since July 2005, according to Autodata Corp.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press