The Honda Civic made a strong push for the overall sales crown, but the Ford F-Series pickup truck remained the best-selling vehicle in Canada in 2005.
"This is the first time since I started monitoring sales by model in 1978 that a passenger car has come even close to being the most popular vehicle in Canada," said Dennis DesRosiers, whose consulting firm acts as a clearing house for vehicle sales figures in this country.
The Civic sold 68,484 examples of its coupe and sedan models over the course of the year, compared with 69,549 Ford F-Series' trucks, followed by the Dodge Caravan in third place with 65,002.
DesRosiers credits the strong horse race right up to the end of the year as a "combination of the success of the Civic and the retreat of light trucks as vehicles of choice in Canada."
The Civic boosted its sales by more than 12 per cent over last year, especially impressive considering that it was already the best-selling car in Canada. A smooth manufacturing transition at the Alliston, Ont., plant from the 2005 Civic to the totally redesigned 2006 model helped generate the Civic's high numbers, as did incentives on the outgoing models and glowing reviews and multiple awards for the 2006 version, which went on sale in October.
The Civic bested two other compact, Japanese-brand vehicles for the best-selling car title, with the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla taking silver and bronze medals, respectively.
"Canada was quite kind to the environment last year, with the fastest-growing segments entry-level products," said DesRosiers in releasing the figures. "High gas prices took a while, but they eventually resulted in a decided shift to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles."
Yet sales are also going well at the opposite end of the auto price spectrum, in segments where fuel economy is rarely mentioned, even with hybrid vehicles. "The demographic shift to older, wealthier consumers is also driving strong growth in the luxury segments, especially entry-level luxury products," said DesRosiers.
Breaking down the best-selling vehicles by province makes it easy to see how automotive tastes differ across the country. Starting out west, the F-Series ruled the top vehicle sales spot from British Columbia to Manitoba, usually with other full-size pickups just behind Ford's workhorse.
The pattern changed in Ontario, where the Dodge Caravan was by far the best-selling vehicle, making it and tiny Prince Edward Island the only provinces that preferred Dodge's super-flexible minivan over anything else.
As usual, Quebec was distinct in Canada, where sales of the Mazda3 topped all others, and only one pickup truck broke into the top 10, way down in sixth place over all.
Looking only at cars, the Civic was the top-seller from British Columbia through to Ontario, came in second to the Mazda3 in Quebec, then regained top spot throughout the Maritimes, save for Prince Edward Island, where the Saturn Ion took the car sales crown.
Saturn Sky has interior
Solstice doesn't, Lutz says
Those disappointed with the quality of materials in Pontiac's hot-looking Solstice roadster should check out the cockpit of the Saturn Sky, says Bob Lutz, GM vice-chairman of product development.
Lutz was answering a query at the Detroit auto show on whether he was happy with the Pontiac Solstice, which has drawn rave reviews for its styling but disappointed many observers with its trim quality, engine and tiny trunk, especially compared with the equally new Miata.
"For those who want a nicer interior, take a look at the one in the Saturn Sky," said Lutz. "For those who need more power, the answer is on the floor," referring to the turbocharged, 260-hp Solstice GXP that's coming in the fall.
