Someone recently asked me – hey, how come Canada doesn’t have any car brands? And while that isn’t entirely true, I understood what they meant by it. We do have domestic car brands, but we don’t have brands like Ford, or VW. We, as a nation, just didn’t seem to be interested in manufacturing cars on that scale. As an importer, we mostly looked right across the border for the US brands, but also Japanese, and lately the South Korean brands. Here’s what we love driving.
The Most Popular Car Brands in Canada: Traditional Favorites
Last year, Ford released a statement about how it’s the best-selling auto brand in Canada for 14 consecutive years. But more interestingly, their F-series is the best-selling pickup in Canada for the last 57 years. Which makes the Ford car brand number one for Canadians. Ford has a long history in Canada, and established its brand presence generations ago.
Toyota is following closely behind. The company has been present in the Canadian market since 1954, reaching several important milestones since. Toyota not only sells a lot of cars in Canada, but it also manufactures them in two factories. Corolla and RAV4 remain the top-selling models.
Having a strong truck and SUV offering (which Canadians love), General Motors is a third brand on this list, or more precisely, Chevrolet and GMC. The full-size trucks and SUVs help Canadians battle the environment and tackle long distances, but lately, GM’s offering is not always their first choice, which is reflected in sales numbers.
Honda, with its top-selling models Civic and CR-V, also joins the list of the most popular car brands in Canada. When it comes to durability, usability, and reasonable pricing, Hondas are the choice for many Canadians. One of the best-selling models is the CR-V, whose sales have been consistently good and have added to Honda’s share in the market.
When it comes to success stories, hardly any brand can beat Hyundai. And it’s not exclusive to Canada. Hyundai has enjoyed a remarkable journey from offering budget cars to being one of the best-selling brands with several best-buy options, like Kona and Tucson. Hyundai appeals to Canadian families with generous features and reasonable prices that often put the brand on best-buy lists.
Nissan remains among the most popular brands thanks to a long tradition that has lasted since the 1960s. Nissan has a broad offering of models, which helps them appeal to a wide customer base.
Understanding Canadians
Canadians are well-educated on financials and approach them with care. When Canadians spend money, they spend it after putting effort into actual research, especially when it comes to buying something as expensive as cars. They reward good-quality companies with their trust and money but expect things to work. They are also very keen on safety and security – something they look out for in car brands as well. Canadians will look for robust safety features not just on their cars, but in all sectors of life. They do appreciate security even when it comes to entertainment, especially online. Online safety and data protection are highly valued, which is why people prefer trusted and encrypted websites, whether they’re playing simple online games or accessing casino platforms like the Casino Days login page, for example. For Canadians, it’s all about making choices that fit their lifestyle the best, combined with feeling secure.
Car Brands Dominating Canada’s Market: Shift in Preferences?
Canada is not immune to the trend of switching to SUVs and crossovers. While pickup trucks remain popular, sedans are slowly dying out and are being replaced by bigger and more practical vehicles. To put that in numbers, SUVs and crossovers see a 25% increase in sales every year and now make up more than six out of every ten new vehicles sold.
Judging by this alone, you would think the market is dominated by brands that traditionally produce this type of vehicles – Ford and GM for example. Surprisingly, it’s the Japanese and South Korean brands that are leading Canada’s market this year. The significant news centers on the remarkable growth by several high-volume Japanese brands. Honda experienced a 70 percent rise, Nissan grew by 49 percent, and Toyota climbed 36 percent. While some of these increases can be attributed, at least partially, to the challenges these brands faced in the first quarter of 2023, these sales achievements are nonetheless substantial. Perhaps we’re about to see a shift in preferences when it comes to car brands.
