MONTREAL (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (MI:FCHA) and Honda Motor Co Ltd (T:7267) both on Monday reported a 2 percent rise in June Canadian sales, compared to the same month in 2015, because of increased demand for light trucks.
FCA Canada reported a total of 27,776 vehicles sold in June, on an annual basis, while Honda said its Canadian sales rose to 16,905 units during the month.
For the first half of 2016, FCA Canada said in a release it sold 152,439 vehicles, a record high for the automaker.
“At the mid-year point, FCA Canada is on pace for another record-setting sales year,” said Dave Buckingham, Chief
Operating Officer, FCA Canada, in a release.
In May, Canadian auto sales slipped 1.5 percent on an annual basis, the first monthly decline since December 2015, in part because the month had two fewer selling days.
According to a June report by Scotiabank, Canadian auto sales are expected to rise to 1.96 million vehicles in 2016, up from 1.9 million units last year.
In the United States, which reported results on July 1, the pace of auto sales slowed in June compared to a year ago, as slumping sales of sedans offset strong demand for pickups and sport utility vehicles. The seasonally adjusted annual sales pace for June was 16.66 million, according to Autodata Corp, down from 17 million vehicles a year earlier.