Canada March 2022: Monthy sales off -19.8%, Q1 down -12.3%, Hyundai (+7.5%) shines again

Hyundai sales are up 7.5% in a market down -12.7%.

08/06 update: Now with Top 42 All-brands and Top 280 All-models ranking.

According to Desrosiers Automotive Consultants (DAC), the Canadian new light vehicle market is down -19.8% year-on-year in March to 140,460 units. The Seasonally Adjusted Annualised Rate of sales (SAAR) stands at 1.54 million, down from 1,92 million in March 2021. Over the First Quarter of 2022, sales are off -12.3% to 337,039. DAC says Passenger cars are down -17% to 51,722 units and 15.6% share vs. 16.4% a year ago while light trucks are off -11.9% to 278,871 and 84.4% vs. 83.6% over Q1 2021, continuing to break share records at every Quarter. Note DAC figures don’t include Tesla.

In the groups ranking over Q1 2022, General Motors (-23.7%) climbs back up to the pole position with 14.2% share, even though it loses 2.1 percentage points of share year-on-year. Ford Motor (-20.5%), the leader over the Full Year 2021, remains in second place with 13% share. Stellantis (-7.5%) resists much better and advances to #3 overall, while Hyundai-Kia (+2.9%) manages a year-on-year uptick to end the Quarter in 4th place. Toyota Motor (-12.9%) is down to #5 vs. #2 over the Full Year 2021, while way below Nissan/Mitsubishi (-4.2%) resists very well. The VW Group (-8.3%), Subaru (-4.9%) and BMW Group (-4.6%) also manage limited single-digit losses. Tesla is estimated to rise 17.3% just as Volvo is up 2.6%.

In the Q1 2022 brands ranking, Ford (-21.6%) remains the most popular but loses significant share year-on-year: from 13.9% to 12.3%. In 2nd place, Toyota drops -15.1% which is faster than the market to 10.5% share vs. 11% over the same period a year ago, while Hyundai (+7.5%) advances to #3 overall, knocking Chevrolet (-25.9%) and Honda (-18.1%) down. Jeep (+11.4%), Audi (+4.8%), Mitsubishi (+37.1%), Tesla (+17.3%), Lexus (+5.7%), Chrysler (+53.7%), Volvo (+2.6%), Porsche (+28.6%), Lincoln (+18.5%), Mini (+6%) and Genesis (+38.1%) are among the year-on-year gainers further down.

Model-wise, the Ford F-Series (-39.8%) tumbles down due to supply issues and keeps the lead for only three sales above the Ram Pickup (-14.8%) at 18,218 vs. 18,215 sales over Q1. The GMC Sierra (-21.5%) and Chevrolet Silverado (-12.1%) make it 4 pickups in the Top 4 just as the Toyota RAV4 (-36.8%) falls from #3 over the FY2021 to #5. Only three light trucks in the Top 15 lodge a year-on-year gain: the Jeep Wrangler (+47%), Nissan Qashqai (+73.2%) and Jeep Grand Cherokee (+10.2%). As for passenger cars, the Honda Civic (-2.7%) remains the best-seller above the Hyundai Elantra (+25.9%) overtaking the Toyota Corolla (-33.9%).

Previous month: Canada February 2022: Hyundai (+10.8%), Kia (+6.3%) defy market down -12.4%

One year ago: Canada March 2021: Volumes soar 86.2%, Q1 up 15.6%, GM topples Ford

Full Q1 2022 Top 15 groups, Top 42 All-brands and Top 280 All-models below.