January Canada LV Sales Third-Best

Coming off a record-breaking 2014, Canadian new light-vehicle buyers took a not unexpected respite in January, averaging 3,796 on each of 26 selling days.

That was 27.6% under December’s torrid 5,039-a-day pace and 0.6% less than the 3,818 vehicles sold on each of 25 selling days a year ago.

Still, at 98,688 units, January LV volume was strong enough to rank third for the month, behind the 110,145 units sold in 2002 and 102,698 delivered in 2008.

Thanks to the extra selling day this year, January LV sales volume also bested prior-year’s 95,457 units, even though the daily rate was lower.

January sales could have more closely challenged the 13-year-old benchmark had car deliveries not fallen to the second-lowest level for the month in the last 30 years. Totaling just 34,796 units, car volume was the lowest for any January since 1985, except for the recession-year 2011’s 31,240 units.

As was the case throughout much of 2014, light-truck volume, fueled by lower-cost gasoline and an improved economic outlook, reached a January record at 63,982 units.

That was a 3.7% gain on the old record of 59,230 set a year ago, marking the third January benchmark in the last four years, excluding only 2013, when deliveries fell 333 units short of beating 2012’s 56,921 deliveries.

January’s robust light-truck volume included F-150 sales Ford said were the highest in history for the month, beating year-ago by 25%, and total F-Series volume that surpassed like-2014 by 15% to reach a January benchmark.

At the same time, total Toyota sales, including Lexus and Scion, rose to a January record of 11,522 units, besting the prior peak set in 2012 by 8.1%. Highlander, Prius c and RAV4 all set January records, according to the automaker.

Indeed, Toyota fell just 56 vehicles short of overtaking General Motors’ 11,577 LV deliveries to claim the No.3 spot behind second-place Ford.

FCA (formerly Chrysler Canada) held first place with a 22% lead over archrival Ford, setting the stage for a continued leadership battle in again 2015.

This year’s extra selling day also provided the impetus for FCA, Ford and GM to beat their combined year-earlier volume, 43,821 units vs. 42891, although they sold 1.7% fewer vehicles daily and their market share dipped to 44.4% from 44.9%.

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