Chrysler Group LLC, overtook Ford as the biggest seller of light trucks in Canada this year. This is due to the increased demand for fuel-efficient crossover sport-utility vehicles.
The category of light trucks includes pick ups, minivans and SUV’s. The sales of these light trucks grew as much as double the total auto deliveries in the first half of the 2011. Since January, Chrysler has led the deliveries last month. According to Scotia Capital Inc., Chrysler’s Dodge Journey model, which uses less gasoline than a traditional truck-based SUV, has beaten Ford’s Escape and GM’s Chevrolet Equinox in terms of sales. These sales have put Chrysler within less than 4,000 total deliveries of becoming the overall No. 2 automaker in the industry.
According to Des Rosier Automotive Consultant Inc., in the total vehicle sales Chrysler gained 1.6% points of market share to 15% in the first half of 2011from a year earlier. But, GM lost 0.2 points to 15.5percent and Ford led with 17.4 percent of the market.
High fuel prices led many consumers to opt for compact cars and car-based SUVs, commonly called crossovers because of their fuel efficiency,.
Light-truck sales in the first half grew more than twice as fast as Canada’s industry average of 2.7 percent over the same period last year. Since 2010, the sales of light trucks has made up about 85 percent of Chrysler’s sales.