Richmond Hill, Ontario – New vehicle sales jumped by 15.4 per cent in January 2012 compared with January 2011, according to industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers. The number puts the seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) tracking at 1.7 million units, the highest level since January 2008.

Chrysler finished the month as the top-selling company, at 16,478 units, displacing Ford. General Motors had a drop of 10.9 per cent and fell to third place. Among companies on the rise, Honda recorded an increase of 143.8 per cent over January 2011.

“It sure is delightful to have the opportunity to write something positive about vehicle sales for a change,” DesRosiers said. “Sales have been anemic for about four years and this is an excellent start to the year.”

DesRosiers speculated that the jump could be from pent-up demand for import nameplates, many of which had been severely affected by natural disasters in Japan in 2011.

Sales for January 2012 are as follows:

Manufacturer Jan 2012 Jan 2011 % Change
Acura 717 574 +24.9
Audi 1,501 1,140 +31.7
BMW 1,644 1,215 +35.3
Chrysler 16,478 13,520 +21.9
Ford 14,973 14,314 +4.6
General Motors 12,959 14,552 -10.9
Honda 8,451 3,467 +143.8
Hyundai 7,460 6,684 +11.6
Infiniti 365 330 +10.6
Jaguar 33 32 +3.1
Kia 3,774 3,049 +23.8
Land Rover 310 173 +79.2
Lexus 810 728 +11.3
Mazda 3,727 3,688 +1.1
Mercedes-Benz 1,970 1,482 +32.9
Mini 201 158 +27.2
Mitsubishi 1,423 1,412 +0.8
Nissan 4,986 4,008 +24.4
Porsche 145 143 +1.4
Saab 5 11 -54.5
Smart 87 82 +6.1
Subaru 1,876 1,753 +7.0
Suzuki 303 413 -26.6
Toyota 9,850 8,323 +18.3
Volkswagen 3,109 2,861 +8.7
Volvo 340 397 -14.4
       
Total sales 97,497 84,09 +15.4
Passenger car 41,155 32,052 +28.4
Light truck 56,342 52,457 +7.4
Domestic 44,410 42,386 +4.8
Import 53,087 42,123 +26.0

 

Related posts:

  1. Auto sales up in Canada as import brands soar
  2. Vehicle sales drop 25.3 per cent in January
  3. Sales up in January but not all is good: DesRosiers
  4. Trucks up, cars down in January: DesRosiers
  5. U.S. hybrid sales drop 32.2 per cent in January