Most people around the world know that Americans are a car crazed culture. What many forget is that the Canadians are equally transfixed on cars. There is data collected to find out what the top selling cars in Canada are each year. The data that has been collected for 2011 show that the Honda Civic is the most popular car for this year. This car was also the top selling car for 2010, but it is rapidly losing ground to the popular Hyundai Elantra. While the Civic is down eleven percent in sales in the country compared to 2010, the Elantra is up nearly 35%. This means that many expect that the Elantra will indeed have the coveted spot of being the most popular car in Canada by next year.
The numbers are showing that Japanese made cars are all slumping in sales in Canada this year. The Elantra is a Korea made car, and it is enjoying one of the larger jumps in popularity. Many believe that this is signalling a change in consumer tastes in Canada. Korea made cars may well become all the rage as the decades move forward.
Forget not that the Elantra is not the only car that is gaining in popularity. Many were surprised to learn that the Volkswagen Jetta has increased in sales by 153% in comparison to 2010. This is coming in large part due to the fact that the price has been adjusted to be more consumer friendly. When more people are able to afford a vehicle, it is likely that they are going to take advantage of this. The Volkswagen Jetta was able to make its first appearance on the top 10 Canadian cars because of these price changes.
When it comes to trucks, the Canadians like the Ford F-Series above all others still. The Chevy Ram is gaining on their Ford rivals though. The sales of the Ram series are up 14% year over year. The truth of the matter is that more trucks are sold than cars. There are plenty of people who use their trucks to do work for themselves. As such, trucks are wildly popular among wide segments of the population. It is not entirely surprising that more people would gravitate towards these over traditional commercial vehicles. Despite this, the Civic is still ranked in third behind the big two truck brands. It brings in 3.5% of the car market in Canada by itself.
It is anyone’s guess as to which cars will be popular next year. Most of the time these things work in trends. If a company releases a very popular model, then it is entirely possible that this model could claim a top spot on the list without having ever appeared on the list before. Korean cars are the safe bet for being among the most popular. Many others have noted that Canadians are also very loyal to American brand cars. Some would even say that Canadians are better consumers of American made cars than Americans are! While this may be an overstatement, it proves the point that the Canadian car market does matter.