Auto sales down 5.9% in May as downward trend continues
By CP STAFF
Industry Automotive auto sales autos Canada DesRosiersLight vehicle sales totalled about 202,800 for the month, down from 215,407 a year earlier.
TORONTO—DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says light vehicle sales fell an estimated 5.9% in May from a year earlier as a downward trend in Canadian auto sales continued.
The automotive consultant says light vehicle sales totalled about 202,800 for the month, down from 215,407 a year earlier.
The dip in May marked the 15th consecutive month of sales declines when compared with the previous year.
A consumer shift away from passenger cars towards generally higher-emission SUVs and pickup truck options continued in May, with car sales down 17.4% for the month while light truck sales declined only 0.4%.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles saw sales drop 25.4% from a year earlier for the biggest drop in sales. The dip comes as FCA is in talks on a merger with French producer Renault.
DesRosiers says General Motors, which switched to quarterly reporting in April, saw sales drop an estimated 12.5%, while Honda was down 4.9% and Ford slipped 1.6%. Toyota, the fourth-biggest seller in Canada, saw sales climb 9%.
