According to automotive industry expert Dennis DesRosiers, 2015 was another record-setting year in terms of new vehicle sales. Furthermore, he believes this trend will continue through 2016. Low interest rates and gas prices fueled the market, as did the many Canadians who felt the need to upgrade high numbers of aging vehicles. Light truck sales make up the majority of the 2015 new vehicle market with 62% share and an increase of 8.8% over 2014.
December data from Desrosiers is currently available online at and includes brand comparisons as well as sales history back to 2008.
Statistics Canada recently released November 2015 stats on new vehicle sales, reporting 1.8 million vehicles sold. Full year data will be available next month and will be slightly higher than the Desrosiers data due to minor reporting differences.
December data also points to a strong year for car sales in the United States as well, with growth predicted for 2016 and 2017. RBC Economics Research notes that 2015 light vehicle sales totaled 17.4 million, slightly exceeding an annual sales record set 15 years ago in the year 2000.
