2012 Canadian mid-year new car sales report

Story and photos by John LeBlanc The end of June marks the halfway point of the calendar year. And for the majority of Canadian brands, 2012 has been a very good year so far. Compared to sales between January and June 2011, Canadians bought 7.1 per cent more new passenger cars and trucks, for a total of 864,911 compared to only 807,772 last year according to industry analysts at DesRosiers & Associates. A closer look at 2012's half-year numbers shows two new emerging trends. First, it seems Canadians are returning to buying cars over trucks. So-called "light trucks" (including minivans, SUVs, and crossovers), are still outselling passenger cars, 464,549 units versus 400,362, but car sales have risen 10.4 per cent, with trucks gaining only 4.4 per cent, compared to this time last year. And secondly, import brands continue to take sales away from the domestic Detroit Three. Sales at Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors were only up 0.7 per cent, while import brands made a 12.9 per cent gain. Here then, are the top 10 automakers in Canada at the midway point of 2012:

10. BMW Group: 18,440 vehicles sold

In the battle for luxury car supremacy in Canada, BMW Group with its BMW and Mini brands just nipped rival Mercedes-Benz and its Smart brand as not only the top-selling luxury automaker in Canada for the first six months of 2012, but also grabbing 10th place overall. With 15,339 BMWs (as always, led by the 3 Series, above) and 3,101 Minis sold for a total of 18,440 units, BMW Group sales are up almost 17 per cent compared to the first six months of 2011, while 11th-place Mercedes-Benz/Smart sales totaled 18,273 vehicles, leaving it short 167 vehicles short of making our top 10 list. There's plenty of time between now and the end of the year for these two to swap places. It'll be interesting to see which brand crosses the finish line ahead.

9. Mazda Motor Corporation: 37,607 vehicles sold

Mazda suffered serious losses last year to natural disasters which disrupted parts and vehicle production in Japan. Things are coming back together, though, with a sales increase of 8.0 per cent. A total of 37,607 new cars and trucks were sold during the first six months of this year compared to only 34,816 last year. Strong demand for Mazda's new fuel-efficient Skyactiv engines and the 2013 CX-5 crossover (seen above) are also helping sales. The company has announced it will double worldwide production of its fuel-efficient gas and diesel Skyactiv engines, from 400,000 to 800,000 annually, and increase CX-5 global production from 200,000 to 240,000 per year.

8. Volkswagen Group: 40,386 vehicles sold

With sales up overall almost nine per cent, from 37,157 new cars and trucks through the end of this past June to 40,386 for the same period of time this year, all three Volkswagen Group brands — Audi, Porsche, and Volkswagen — saw solid sales increases for the first six months of 2012. On sales of 10,054 vehicles, Audis like the Q7, above, lead the way in growth, with a 14 per cent gain — double the industry average. Both Porsche and Volkswagen brands recorded their best June sales ever, bringing their sales totals for the first six months of 2012 to 1,470 and 28,862 respectively.

7. Nissan Motor Company: 47,105 vehicles sold

It appears Japan's Nissan has fully recovered from the sales drops seen in 2011. For 2012, the combined Nissan and Infiniti brands set a half-year record in Canada. Sales totaled 47,105 vehicles, up from 43,578 for the first six months last year. Sales of Nissan brand vehicles like the new Versa sedan, above, are up 6.9 per cent to 43,100 units. Infiniti (which suffered heavily last year with the majority of its vehicle production in Japan) saw sales jump 23.5 per cent, from only 3,245 vehicles last year to 4,005 new cars and trucks though to the end of June. While only on sale for a few months, Infiniti's new JX three-row crossover has already become the brand's bestselling model.

6. Honda Motor Company: 71,834 vehicles sold

Playing catch-up after last year's natural disasters in Japan, Honda's North American plants built 748,217 cars and light trucks in the year's first five months, a record for the period, and 67 per cent more than a year earlier. The result saw sales for the first six months of this year of Honda and Acura brand vehicles jump from 58,727 at this time last year to 71,834. Honda sales have been particularly strong so far this year (that's the second-best selling CR-V, above). With 64,544 new cars and trucks moved, sales are up 23.5 per cent for the fist half of 2012 — over three times the industry average. Expect Acura to grow even more with the launch of the new ILX and the RDX.

5. Toyota Motor Corporation: 98,032 vehicles sold

Although it has been surpassed by its Korean rivals as the bestselling import automaker in Canada, the combined sales of Scion, Toyota, and Lexus brands still leads all Japanese automakers with 98,032 units sold for the first half of 2012, compared to only 79,024 new cars and trucks sold during the same periods in 2011. Toyota (with record sales of hybrids, like the new Prius V, above) and Scion brand sales led the way with a jump of 25.5 per cent, with 90,996 new cars and trucks sold. While Toyota's premium Lexus brand sold 7,036 units, up 8.4 per cent compared to this time last year. The launch of the all-new GS and the facelifted RX no doubt helped.

4. Hyundai Kia Automotive Group: 110,940 vehicles sold

The bestselling import automaker in Canada continues its rampant growth. Korea's Hyundai and Kia brands combined for sales of 110,940 new cars and trucks so far in 2012. That's a gain of almost double the industry average of 7.1 per cent, and places the automaker solidly ahead of Toyota while gaining ground on the podium positions. Although the Kia brand sold fewer vehicles during the first six months of this year than its sister Hyundai brand (39,298 versus 71,642), its growth rate (18.7 per cent compared to 4.3) continues to rank high. Popular vehicles  like the Soul (seen above) and the Forte compact car family, continue to be Kia's top-sellers.

3. General Motors: 117,147 vehicles sold

Don't let GM's third-place ranking fool you. If the American giant's sales don't start trending upward soon, the former perennial top-selling automaker in Canada may be looking behind its Korean rivals on the sales charts sooner than later. And yes, this includes the fact that it's released a wave of new products like the Orlando, Volt, and the above pictured Sonic. While the Canadian industry saw an average sales increase of 7.1 per cent, GM's Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac brands saw a sales decrease of 6.2 per cent, from 124,851 new cars and trucks sold through the end of June 2011, to only 117,147 sold this year. GM's fortunes may shift by year-end though, as the General is getting ready to launch a massive wave of new metal including two new Cadillacs (ATS and XTS), a subcompact Buick crossover, not to mention the 2013 Chevy Impala and Spark.

2. Chrysler Group: 129,463 vehicles sold

For a few months this year, Chrysler Group — Fiat, Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, and Ram — led the overall Canadian sales race. But after six months, with sales of 129,463 (an increase that equals the industry average of 7.1 per cent), the U.S-based, Italian-owned automaker has dropped to second-place. (Any guesses who's in first?) On the plus side, Chrysler said June was the company's 31st consecutive month of year-over-year sales growth, the longest sales streak in the automaker's history. And while trucks, minivans, and SUVs (like the Jeep Grand Cherokee, above) continue to lead sales, Chrysler said its passenger car sales were up over 30 per cent, compared to this time last year thanks to the ever-popular 300 and Charger. Expect further growth when the 2013 Dart hits showrooms this summer.

1. Ford Motor Company: 142,129 vehicles sold

In what is becoming a reoccurring theme, Ford sold more new cars (like the compact Focus, above) and trucks than any other automaker during the first six months of this year. With 142,129 Ford and Lincoln brand vehicles sold through to the end of June, compared to 140,311 during the same period last year, the U.S.-based automaker's sales are up 1.3 per cent. During May, Ford brand sales were driven by the subcompact Fiesta, which saw its best month ever with a 16 per cent increase. Strong demand for the Ford Edge and Flex crossovers saw sales increases of 22 and 38 per cent, respectively. Although it's still trickling in, the all-new Escape is destined to be a big hit with Canadians, while the new next-generation Fusion is set to arrive in the fall.

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