New vehicles see ‘unusual sales patterns’ in first half of year

Canada’s new vehicle market is showing some surprising twists with subcompacts and small pickups staging a comeback while luxury and intermediate cars continue to slide.

According to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants, subcompact car sales jumped 50.5 per cent in the first half of 2025 and nearly doubled in the second quarter alone, up 94.5 per cent. The gains were driven by strong performances from the Fiat 500E, Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Versa, despite the segment’s long-term decline and shrinking model lineup.

“The new light vehicle sales market saw some unusual sales patterns in the first half of 2025,” said Andrew King, Managing Partner at DAC. “Of interest were the deviations from long-established trends, with a boost for subcompact cars and small vans following years of declines.”

Small pickups also posted a solid 38.7 per cent increase in the first half, while small vans weren’t far behind with a 38.1 per cent gain.

On the flip side, luxury passenger cars took a steep hit, with sales down 46.9 per cent. Intermediate passenger cars dropped 33.6 per cent, and the sport segment fell 18.9 per cent — though Q2 results were stronger than Q1.

There is one trend that hasn’t changed — light trucks continue to dominate. Sales in the segment reached 852,000 units in the first half, up 7 per cent from the same period last year. Passenger car sales, meanwhile, slipped 3.1 per cent to 124,000 units.

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