October auto sales up in Canada over 2012: DesRosiers

Canadian auto and truck sales last month increased 7.4% from one year ago, according to data compiled from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.

Light vehicle sales totalled 145,460 for the month, up from 135,476 in October 2012 as Ford led the way with a gain of more than 10%. The U.S. automaker sold 22,635 vehicles for the month, up from 20,561 a year ago. “We are proud to have achieved the best month of sales on record in more than 15 years,” Ford Canada president and chief executive Dianne Craig said in a statement.

Canadian auto sales have been very strong so far this year; according to DesRosiers, the industry has sold 1,496,216 light vehicles through the first 10 months of the year, up 3.8% from 1,441,014 a year ago.

“It may be getting a little repetitive but the Canadian automotive market once more set records last month,” DesRosiers said in a commentary on the results. “Sales of trucks have been strong all year and this trend continued in October with 81,292 units sold (up 9.6%). What has really pushed the market on in the last couple of months has been a return to growth in the passenger car market.”

Car sales were up 4.7% in October 2013 to 64,168.

General Motors, which posted a nearly 10% gain, was second in October as it said sales jumped across all four of its brands, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac for the month that included an extra selling day than last year. The automaker sold 20,503 vehicles last month, compared with 18,651 in October 2012.

Chrysler rounded out the top 3 with sales of 18,007, up from 17,333 a year ago.

Meanwhile, Japanese automaker Toyota Canada Inc. said it saw an uptick of 3.5% in sales of its cars and trucks in October, helped by its popular RAV4 sport utility vehicles. Toyota sales totalled 15,593, while its Lexus brand climbed 5.9 per cent from a year ago to 1,609. Scion sales amounted to 392.

Honda Canada, meanwhile, reported that last month was its best October in monthly sales since 2002. It saw combined sales from its Honda and luxury segment Acura, climb to 15,302, a jump from 14% from October 2012 sales. Honda sales were up 19% over the last year, coming in at 13,770 units while Acura sales were down 19%, to 1,532 units. “Honda Canada Inc. surpassed an eleven-year-old October monthly sales record this month, which was bolstered by double digit growth of Honda Automobile Division’s small cars, Fit and Civic,” said Dave Gardner, vice-president of sales and marketing, Honda Canada Inc.