Detroit 3 boost Canada sales in January
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TORONTO (Reuters) -- The Detroit 3 automakers posted gains last month in Canada, helped by demand for fuel-efficient passenger cars and mirroring robust U.S. sales last month.
Chrysler Canada said January sales increased by 2.6 percent to 17,013, its best January performance since 1996.
A 1.5 percent increase in car sales to 2,566 plus a 2.8 percent rise in truck sales to 14,447 made Chrysler the No. 1 vehicle seller in Canada in January, the automaker said.
"We finished 2012 by shattering annual sales records for Ram trucks, Jeep Wrangler, Chrysler 200 and Fiat 500 and we are glad to see that momentum continue into 2013," Chrysler Canada COO Dave Buckingham said in a statement.
Sales at General Motors of Canada rose 6.2 percent in January to 13,761, the company said, led by a 40 percent surge in compact car sales. This is a marked turnaround from a nearly 7 percent fall in sales in 2012 at the company, which sells Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac brands.
"We are looking forward to further momentum in 2013 driven by our aggressive launch cadence, where approximately 70 percent of our vehicles will be all-new or significantly refreshed," said Marc Comeau, GM of Canada's vice-president of sales, service and marketing.
Meanwhile, Ford of Canada said demand for fuel-efficient cars boosted its sales last month by 8.1 percent, its best January performance in 10 years.
Car sales at Ford, which includes the Ford Fusion and Ford Focus models, increased 24 percent to 3,634. Truck sales rose 4.3 percent to 12,563.
"With forecasts showing that 2013 could be a record sales year, we see lot of opportunity for sales growth for Ford," Ford of Canada CEO Dianne Craig said.
After a strong 2012, Canadian vehicle sales are expected to continue to increase this year, nearing -- or even exceeding -- the record of 1.7 million set in 2002 on the back of pent-up demand left over from the recession and higher employment especially in Western Canada, analysts have said.
In the United States, GM and Ford posted better-than-expected U.S. auto sales for January after a strong showing in cars, crossovers and pickup trucks.
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