Canada Has strong December Auto sales

[doh]

FULL STORY HERE
http://www.canadiandriver.com/news/060105-14.htm

Automakers record relatively strong December sales

Sales were as follows:

Manufacturer Dec 05 Dec 04 Change % YTD Change (04 to 05)
General Motors 36,056 35,645 + 1.2 +28.9
Chrysler 14,695 14,101 + 4.2 +13.7
Ford 16,589 16,267 + 2.0 +13.9
BMW/Mini 1,627 1,805 - 9.9 +11.1
Honda/Acura 13,050 12,169 + 7.2 + 9.4
Hyundai 4,540 3,375 +34.5 + 3.8
Jaguar 78 93 -16.1 + 0.1
Kia 1,790 1,920 - 6.8 + 1.7
Land Rover 263 137 +92.0 + 0.1
Mazda 4,359 4,386 - 0.6 + 4.8
Mercedes/Smart 1,581 1,549 + 2.1 + 0.9
Nissan/Infiniti 4,703 5,672 -17.1 + 4.5
Porsche 83 142 -41.5 + 0.1
Subaru 1,222 1,285 - 4.9 + 1.1
Suzuki 636 471 +35.0 + 0.6
Toyota/Lexus 11,861 11,741 + 1.0 +11.1
VW/Audi 3,060 2,327 +31.5 + 2.5
Volvo 704 755 - 6.8 + 0.7
Total 117,794 114,475 + 2.9 + 3.2

[ChevyOptra5]

Ahhhh, i like to see that, now if only we could do that well in the U.S. the future would look bright.

[dindak]

Cadillac sales in Canada were up 62.7% in December, marking the highest total vehicle sales since December 1979.

Maybe GM USA should have done the "Ring and Win" Christmas promotion.

[rsbaker]

Originally Posted by ChevyOptra5

Ahhhh, i like to see that, now if only we could do that well in the U.S. the future would look bright.

That's for sure! I'm most impressed that the percentages in growth from '04 to '05. GM-28.9%. That's more than double to rate of growth for Toyota-11.1% and Honda-9.4%. Ford and Chrysler were both at 13.9 & 13.7% respectively. Still more than Toyohondassan. The Europeans are pretty flat. I wonder if the Domestics get as much bad biased press in Canada as they do here in the US.

[kenman923]

This makes me wonder if I will soon have to go to Canada to get a GM car.

[give_it_all_]

Canadians knwo what is a good car and what's not

[Family Man]

Originally Posted by rsbaker

That's for sure! I'm most impressed that the percentages in growth from '04 to '05. GM-28.9%. That's more than double to rate of growth for Toyota-11.1% and Honda-9.4%. Ford and Chrysler were both at 13.9 & 13.7% respectively. Still more than Toyohondassan. The Europeans are pretty flat. I wonder if the Domestics get as much bad biased press in Canada as they do here in the US.

Probably about the same since we watch many US stations and our Canadian news does cover the US auto industry. We also read C&D, etc, so we get the some dose of BS as you from them.

It's nice to see GM do so well here, however the bad news is that GM's sales in Dec did not increase as much as the market (1.2% vs 2.9%, but the difference is very small) but they still did better than Toyota/Lexus (at 1%).

[lilredcrvtt]

Canadians know a bargain when they see one. Now the Americans can take a lesson and look at G.M. for the best overall value that it is. Put down those "auto rag" reveiws and go to the showrooms to see with your own eyes that the change is here! Seeing is believing.

[symbioted]

You couldn't even begin to imagine how some of our show, especially the french speaking ones, are biased. It's not even funny. Motoring still cool though.

[FamilyTruckster]

GM Canada don't have the same issues as the US. Things are great up here. With the new improved models they'll only get better.

[ethayes]

Didn't GM introduce the GM Employee discount in Canada?

Wasn't it introduced at a later time than in the U.S.?

And wouldn't that explain why there was some give back or slow down in growth in December 2005?

If this is the case and GM did have the employee discount program running there why was GM's recovery better in Canada than in the U. S.?

Could this all be explained by offering those all important high volume cars like the Pontiac Pursuit?

[yassir(snowman)]

that is good news, but some times there are GM cars that are only avilable in the US that shold be sold in canada ( gto)

[01cavalier]

Good to see GM do so well in Canad, if only they could do the same in the States.

[VivienM]

Originally Posted by ethayes

Didn't GM introduce the GM Employee discount in Canada?

Wasn't it introduced at a later time than in the U.S.?

And wouldn't that explain why there was some give back or slow down in growth in December 2005?

If this is the case and GM did have the employee discount program running there why was GM's recovery better in Canada than in the U. S.?

Could this all be explained by offering those all important high volume cars like the Pontiac Pursuit?

GM Canada was already doing well this year before they did employee pricing... They would never have done it, either, except that F*rd and Chrysler decided to bring it to Canada, which pushed GM to follow.

The reason they're doing well should be obvious: look at the weakness of the truck-based SUV market in Canada (which is where GM's offerings are the weakest today...) and the strength of GM's product line in small/midsized/large cars (Cobalt, new in 05... Malibu, new in 04, restyled in 06... G6, new in 05, new engines in 06... Allure, new in 05, etc...). Not only that, but they have the pricing right (see: Buick Allure) on most things.

[Gm786]

I'm glad GM is doing very well in Canadia! Now GM needs to fix it's problems over here and Rick Wagoner need to stop screwing around or he's going to get his butt kicked out of the company.