Mark your calendar: the first half of 2015 saw sales of new passenger cars becoming rarer than ever, resulting in a significant shift in the top 10 list of best-selling new vehicles in Canada towards utility vehicles.
Last month was the best June on record for new car and truck sales in Canada, supporting a six-month total of 993,726 units — a 2.6 per cent gain over the same period in 2014*. Most of those gains, however, came from a 6.3 per cent rise in truck sales, compared to a 2.4 per cent slowing in car sales. And the results can easily be seen on our top 10 mid-year best seller list:
10th place: Toyota RAV4, 20,350 sold
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
2015 Toyota RAV4
PHOTO: Handout, Toyota
Are cars going the way of VCR tape recorders? Our 10th-place finisher seems to suggest this. New to the top 10 — with sales up 26.4 per cent over the same period in 2014 — the Toyota RAV4 compact crossover knocked Mazda’s perennially best selling Mazda3 compact car (sales down 11.1 per cent to just 18,513) for the last spot. In fact, the Mazda3 dropped to 12th-place overall, falling behind the 11th-place Honda CR-V compact crossover, that saw its sales up 12.8 per cent to 18,920 units sold since the first of 2015.
9th place: Dodge Grand Caravan, 21,483 sold
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
2015 Dodge Grand Caravan
PHOTO: Handout, Dodge
Another indication of the rapidly changing tastes of new vehicle buyers is the quickly declining sales of minivans. Witness the Dodge Grand Caravan. Although it is still Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ second-best selling vehicle, with sales off 19.1 per cent so far this year to just 21,483 units, the minivan drops four spots from its fifth-place finish at the end of 2014. As the market awaits an all-new 2016 Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, sales may stay sluggish for the rest of 2015.
8th place: Chevrolet Silverado, 21,673 sold
2015 Chevrolet Silverado
PHOTO: Handout, Chevrolet
2015 Chevrolet Silverado
PHOTO: Handout, Chevrolet
2015 Chevrolet Silverado
PHOTO: Handout, Chevrolet
2015 Chevrolet Silverado
PHOTO: Handout, Chevrolet
2015 Chevrolet Silverado
PHOTO: Handout, Chevrolet
2015 Chevrolet Silverado
PHOTO: Handout, Chevrolet
2015 Chevrolet Silverado
PHOTO: Handout, Chevrolet
2015 Chevrolet Silverado
PHOTO: Handout, Chevrolet
According to General Motors, the first six months of 2015 were the American automaker’s best first half for truck sales since 2008, also claiming that Chevrolet is the fastest growing pickup brand in Canada. As proof, with sales up 13.8 per cent to 21,673 copies sold so far in 2015, the first of the “big four” full-size pickup truck nameplates in our mid-year top 10 list, the Silverado, moves up one spot from the start of 2015 and remains Chevrolet’s best selling new vehicle.
7th place: Hyundai Elantra, 22,350 sold
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT has so much to offer and has surpassed the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla in terms of quality and refinement.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT has a clean, functional and easy to use dashboard layout.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT has a stylish but simple design.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
2016 Hyundai Elantra GT
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT is a fantastic little car that I have no problem recommending to my family and friends.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT has a backup camera that's hidden under the badge. Brilliant! It keeps it from getting dirty.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
There is a backup camera hiding under this badge of the 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT's steering has a solid, heavy feel to it.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The back seats in the 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT can fold flat at the tug of a strap.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
2016 Hyundai Elantra GT
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The GT badge on the 2015 Hyundai Elantra GT is supposed to mean "Grand Tourer," which is supposed to denote a sportier demeanour.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT isn't as sporty as Hyundai wants you to think, but its performance is perfectly acceptable for its class.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT has 651 litres of space in the trunk.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
2016 Hyundai Elantra GT
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT has 651 litres of space in the trunk.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
2015 Hyundai Elantra GT
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT's main competition is the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT gets a bold new grille that looks like it's taken from the brand's more high-end models.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra comes in both hatch and sedan format. Many of its competitors are just available as sedans.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT's design is simple but it works really well.
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
2016 Hyundai Elantra GT
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
The 2016 Hyundai Elantra GT's gauges are clear and easy to read
PHOTO: Jodi Lai, Driving
With sales off 17 per cent for the first six months of 2015, another victim of the consumer shift to utility vehicles is Hyundai’s Elantra compact car family. Once challenging the Honda Civic as the top-selling passenger car in Canada, the Elantra remains Hyundai Canada’s best selling model, but has dropped two spots on our top 10 list, having been surpassed by the Toyota Corolla for the first time in years.
6th place: Ford Escape, 23,598 sold
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2015 Ford Escape
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Despite being due for a mid-life refresh, Ford’s Escape compact crossover continues to be popular with Canadian shoppers. Even with sales down 6.8 per cent over the same period in 2014 to just 23,598 copies sold, the Escape remains Ford’s second-best selling vehicle, the best-selling compact crossover in Canada, and the most-popular crossover or SUV in the land as well.
5th place: Toyota Corolla, 25,798 sold
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Toyota Corolla S
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
Perhaps Toyota’s strategy of making the Corolla one of the roomiest compact cars you can buy is paying off. The only compact car on our top 10 list to see any positive sales numbers since the start of 2015 (albeit, a relatively flat one per cent gain), the Toyota Corolla has moved up two spots on our list from a fifth place overall finish at the end of 2014.
4th place: GMC Sierra, 25,846 sold
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
2015 GMC Sierra HD Denali
PHOTO: Derek McNaughton, Driving
With the introduction last year of its Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-size trucks, some industry watchers thought GM’s full-size trucks would take a hit on the sales charts. Apparently not. For the first six months of 2015, sales of GMC’s full-size Sierra are up a healthy 17.3 per cent, enabling the pickup truck to jump four spots from where it finished at the end of 2014.
3rd place: Honda Civic, 29,589 sold
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
2015 Honda Civic Touring
PHOTO: John LeBlanc, Driving
Is the Honda Civic ready to give up its long-held crown as Canada’s most popular new car? Despite sales down 3.6 per cent so far in 2015, the compact Civic family remains Honda Canada’s best selling model, and the country’s top passenger car purchase. But the gap between the slightly-slumping Civic and the surging Corolla is quietly closing. In the Civic’s defense, by this time next year, we expect an all-new Civic family to be on sale.
2nd place: Ram Pickup, 47,010 sold
2015 Ram 1500 Hemi Black Sport CrewCab 4x4
PHOTO: David Booth, Driving
2015 Ram 1500 Hemi Black Sport CrewCab 4x4
PHOTO: David Booth, Driving
2015 Ram 1500 Hemi Black Sport CrewCab 4x4
PHOTO: David Booth, Driving
Bumper to bumper, the 2015 Ram 1500 Hemi Black Sport CrewCab 4x4 measures 6,030 millimetres.
PHOTO: David Booth, Driving
2015 Ram 1500 Laramie Limited
PHOTO: Handout, Ram
2015 Ram 1500 Laramie Limited
PHOTO: Handout, Ram
2015 Ram 1500 Hemi Black Sport CrewCab 4x4
PHOTO: David Booth, Driving
2015 Ram 1500 Hemi Black Sport CrewCab 4x4
PHOTO: David Booth, Driving
2015 Ram 1500 Hemi Black Sport CrewCab 4x4
PHOTO: David Booth, Driving
The 2015 Ram 1500 Hemi Black Sport CrewCab 4x4 suffers from huge price markups.
PHOTO: David Booth, Driving
You could argue that FCA has become a truck company. Among the 147,946 Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Fiat, Jeep and Maserati brand vehicles the Italian automaker sold in Canada for the first six months of 2015, almost one-in-three was a full-size Ram Pickup truck. More popular than ever, Ram sales are up seven per cent so far in 2015. And more interestingly, the gap between the second-best selling vehicle in the country and the best-selling vehicle is closer than ever.
1st place: Ford