There’s nothing quite like an economic collapse to make everything that follows appear positively breathtaking. Canadian auto sales in the first quarter of 2021 jumped 16 percent. That’s over 50,000 additional sales.Canadian auto sales growth in the first quarter of 2021 stands in contrast to the state of auto sales in the first quarter of, that’s right, 2020.
Indeed, that’s exactly what happened. Across broad sections of the Canadian auto market, sales were wildly more numerous than at this point a year ago. At General Motors, for example, which is currently Canada’s top-selling automaker, Q1 volume jumped 30 percent. Hyundai and Kia combined for a 23-percent surge. Some premium brands posted wild gains: Porsche was up 84 percent and Volvo shot up 57 percent.
That leaves the brand with a full-size sedan, a full-size muscle coupe, and one large SUV. Total volume of those three models in the first quarter of 2021: just under 3,000. Dodge actually generated the majority of its Q1 sales with the discontinued Grand Caravan. Mitsubishi: 4,883, down 7 percentLong mocked for an outdated model lineup, the third-world feel of the Mirage, and the absence of connection with the brand’s heritage, Mitsubishi nevertheless persevered thanks to budget pricing and a great warranty. Mitsubishi is making advances — the Eclipse Cross isn’t part of an “outdated” product lineup, and the Outlander is finally due to be replaced by a close relative to the Nissan Rogue. At the moment, it matters not.
As car sales dipped just 8 percent in Q1, Civic sales tumbled nearly three times faster. Toyota’s Corolla is actually nipping at the Civic’s heels; only 42 sales abaft. But this is the Civic, so expect Honda to fight back. Soon. Minivans: 8,835, down 28 percentMaybe 2021, with a new Toyota Sienna and a new Kia Carnival and a new Chrysler Grand Caravan, will be The Year Of The Minivan. Or perhaps history will continue to repeat itself and minivans will continue to shed market share. First-quarter market share did just that, plunging from 3.7 percent a year ago; to just 2.3 percent in the first three months of 2021.
Source: News Formal (newsformal.com)