Ford Canada sales drop, while GM, Toyota rise

[dindak]

A little good news for GM.

TORONTO — Ford Motor Co. of Canada said its overall sales fell 13.9 per cent in July, while General Motors Canada posted a 5.2 per cent increase.

Ford Canada sold 18,171 units in July, down from 21,097, with total truck sales off 12.2 per cent at 13,554 units and total car sales of 4,617 units mark.

The Ford Focus registered a sales increase, however, climbing 13 per cent, while the Ford Escape Hybrid registered its best July sales on record with a 171 per cent increase.

GM Canada, which like most auto makers has been struggling with lower consumer demand because of a weak U.S. economy and high gasoline prices, said its dealers delivered 33,893 units in July, up from 32,205 a year ago.



http://www.reportonbusiness.com/serv.../Business/home

[SkiD666]

July sales:
GM = +5.2% (YTD Market Share - 21.6%)
Chrysler = -7.6% (14.1%)
Toyota = +17.8% (13.0%)
Ford = -13.8% (12.7%)
Honda = +18.9% (9.5%)

Overall July sales 5% higher than 2007, YTD 2.7% higher

http://www.desrosiers.ca/Monthly%20Updates/sales.pdf

[dindak]

It's amazing how well Chrysler does in Canada.

[tgagneguam]

Toyota Canada posted record sales in July, with 21,990 Toyota and Lexus cars and trucks purchased in July, up 18.3 per cent from the same month last year, boosted by fuel-efficient cars...

Ford Canada sales declined 13.9 per cent in July.

Chrysler, meanwhile, saw a slight decline of 7.6 per cent but was still up 2.4 per cent on the year, and Ford Canada sold 18,171 units in July, down from 21,097, with total truck sales off 12.2 per cent at 13,554 units and total car sales of 4,617 units mark...

Still, as a group, GM, Ford and Chrysler were down 3.8 per cent while import brands were up 13.9 per cent.

Understandable development, but it's still frustrating that Detroit continues to ebb and foreign brands continue to flow.

[SmallBlock]

This is really not surprising considering that the Canadian government has basically acted as the biggest booster for Toyota. The "Ecobreak" or whatever the tax break was marketed as basically gives the consumer a massive incentive to buy Toyota.

Remember that originally even Honda was excluded from the tax break list.

If I were paying Canadian taxes, I would be none too happy that my dollars were going towards subsidizing Toyota's expansion.

The leasing deals that Chrysler has been giving the Canadian market are absurd. A colleague recent leased a Dodge Ram Big Horn Edition for $0 down and $305/month for two years. That is absolutely insane. If you drive through Ontario you can see the impetus for all of this; acres (no hyperbole) of unsold units sitting in the sun.

The first rule of Canadian car buying is: CHEAP. This usually translates to small. But if Chrysler is giving you a deal, the average Hoser will be more than happy to take it, and as you can see, they're literally running to their local Dodge dealership.

However, to see GM increasing sales in July despite the massive jump in fuel prices ($5.10/gal) and a federal government cheering for its demise is definitely heartening.

[shelby]

Originally Posted by SmallBlock

The leasing deals that Chrysler has been giving the Canadian market are absurd. A colleague recent leased a Dodge Ram Big Horn Edition for $0 down and $305/month for two years. That is absolutely insane. If you drive through Ontario you can see the impetus for all of this; acres (no hyperbole) of unsold units sitting in the sun.

Unfortunately those lease deals end July 1st, which is why for the first time in 2 years Chrysler Canada did not post year-over-year sales growth.

It's amazing how well Chrysler does in Canada.

In my opinion Chrysler has the most aggressive dealer network in Canada and are particularily strong in Western Canda. The competition in urban centers is absolutely fierce. I think Toyota is actually under-dealered (at least here in the west) and has room for growth in it's dealer network.

[Smee]

Originally Posted by dindak

It's amazing how well Chrysler does in Canada.

Their cheap, no frill Caravan is very popular as an A to B car from families up here.