Canadian auto sales show year-over-year decline in March: DesRosiers

TORONTO — DesRosiers Automotive Consultants says overall Canadian sales of cars and light trucks were down 0.6 per cent in March compared with the same month last year.

The total number of vehicles sold in March was 186.4 million, still near a historically high level for the month, but down from 187.5 million last year.

Sales of passenger cars were down 12.4 per cent to 53,932, from 61,557 a year earlier, more than off-setting an increase in light truck sales.

Light truck sales were up 5.2 per cent to 132,515 last month, from 125,993 in March 2017.

March was the first month of 2018 to show a year-over-year decline in overall sales, according to figures compiled by the consulting group, which is based in Richmond Hill, Ont.

The first-quarter total was 429,258 vehicles light trucks and cars sold, up 1.8 per cent from the comparable period last year.

Light trucks accounted for nearly three-quarters of the vehicles sold during the three-month period, rising 6.4 per cent from a year ago to 308,072. Car sales were down 8.2 per cent to 121,186, DesRosiers reports.