Final new car sales figures are in for 2019 – and it will go down as the fourth highest on record in Canada with slightly more than 1.91 million sales transactions occurring.
According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc., 2019 was the year of the SUV. Subcompact SUVs finished the year with a 28.5% increase – holding on to the title of fastest growing segment in the country—and large luxury SUV sales climbed by 12.4%.
There was no major shake up to the hierarchy of popular Canadian vehicles in 2019, as buyers largely stuck to the tried and true. According to industry statistics website, Statista, the Ford F-Series continued to receive overwhelming support and loyalty from consumers, making it the most popular vehicle in Canada for the tenth year in a row. Approximately 145,000 Ford F-Series were sold in 2019, with the second place Ram pickup selling around 96,500 models. The Ram pickups may not have overtaken the top spot, but they did see an impressive 14% gain.
Rounding out the top three was the Toyota RAV4 with sales in excess of 65,000, and showing an increase of 17.8%..
Zero- emission vehicles (ZEVs) continued to show strong growth across Canada. As reported by Electric Mobility Canada, ZEV sales now account for 3.5% of national vehicle sales, with that number being impressively higher in BC where 10% of all car sales purchased last year were ZEVs.
BC has always had a reputation for having a strong environmental consciousness, but that’s not the sole reason for the rise of ZEV sales in the province. With the introduction of federal incentives last May and the continued support of the CEVforBC™ Program, through which 14, 400+ program transactions occurred in 2019, British Columbians are finding it possible to make the switch to green rides.
If you are an auto enthusiast who has a love for the latest from the world’s biggest auto manufacturers, or you have an affinity for sports cars, pick-up trucks, sedans, supercars, or concept vehicles – the place to be is the Vancouver International Auto Show, March 25-29 at the Vancouver Convention Center West.
Celebrating it’s 100th anniversary, one of the features of this year’s Auto Show will be a focus on the storied history of the annual event and the vintage vehicles on display which will allow visitors to travel down memory lane to revisit vehicles of the past that hold sentimental value.
This year’s Auto Show will have something for car lovers and we hope to see you there! For more information about the Show, and to purchase tickets, please visit here.
Blair Qualey is President and CEO of the New Car Dealers Association of BC. You can email him at [email protected]
