Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) capped off calendar year 2017 with its best December on record, helping the Japanese automaker to achieve its sixth consecutive year of annual sales growth. December 2017’s…

Subaru Canada achieves six consecutive record years of sales growth

2018 Subaru Impreza
The Impreza experienced growth of 42.4 percent in 2017. (Photo: Subaru)

Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) capped off calendar year 2017 with its best December on record, helping the Japanese automaker to achieve its sixth consecutive year of annual sales growth.

December 2017’s total was 3,876 units for a 4.6-percent gain over the same month in 2016, pushing Subaru’s total annual deliveries to 54,570 vehicles for an 8.7-percent year-over-year sales increase when compared to 2016’s 50,190-unit tally.

2018 Subaru Crosstrek
The Crosstrek found 14.9 percent more buyers for a total of 11,168 deliveries last year. (Photo: Subaru)

“More Canadians than ever before drove Subaru’s sales with a record-setting results streak, which gave rise to Subaru’s highest sales ever,” said Yasushi Enami, chairman, president and CEO of Subaru Canada, Inc. “With our sixth consecutive annual sales record in the books, we are ready for 2018 as our strong dealer network steps forward into 2018 and we bring our best product offering yet.”

2018 Subaru WRX STI
The WRX and WRX STI collectively increased from 4,217 to 4,616 units for a 9.5-percent gain in 2017. (Photo: Subaru)

Movers and shakers included the Impreza compact four-door sedan and five-door hatchback, plus the Crosstrek subcompact crossover SUV that achieved 38.6 and 48.0 December growth respectively. The Impreza’s yearly sales were even more impressive, with growth of 42.4 percent to 10,617 units overall in 2017, while the Crosstrek found 14.9 percent more buyers for a total of 11,168 deliveries last year.

2018 Subaru Outback
The Outback crossover’s 2.1-percent year-over-year growth was more modest last year. (Photo: Subaru)

Additionally, the WRX and WRX STI performance models collectively increased from 4,217 to 4,616 units for a respectable 9.5-percent gain in 2017, while the mid-size Outback crossover’s year-over-year growth was more modest, from 11,255 to 11,490 units for a 2.1-percent upward trend. Despite its smaller numbers, BRZ sports coupe growth was a solid 6.3 percent from 740 units in 2016 to 787 last year, although it should be noted that the BRZ’s 2016 sales represented a significant drop when compared to much stronger sales in years prior.

2018 Subaru BRZ
BRZ sports coupe growth was a solid 6.3 percent from 740 units in 2016 to 787 last year. (Photo: Subaru)

Ironically in a market that predominantly favours utilities, Subaru’s best-selling Forester compact SUV was one of the only models to slip backward due to sales of 13,441 units in 2017 compared to 13,798 in 2016, this being a 2.6-percent slide, the other model losing ground year-over-year being the Legacy mid-size sedan that dropped from 3,001 units in 2016 to 2,451 deliveries last year, representing an 18.3-percent downturn.

2018 Subaru Forester
Ironically in a market that favours SUVs, Forester sales fell backward in 2017. (Photo: Subaru)

On the positive, the 2018 Legacy has received a refresh that should boost interest, while the Forester will receive a dramatic redesign later this year. Available even sooner, the all-new 2019 Ascent mid-size crossover SUV, which just made its Canadian debut at the Montreal auto show, will arrive this summer. The Ascent is Subaru’s largest-ever crossover SUV with the choice of seven- or eight-occupant seating, expanding the Japanese brand’s market reach to a much broader market than ever before. This should help Subaru continue its sales growth momentum.

While sales of some premium brands are more or less flat in Canada, Audi’s Canadian division has been on a charge with growth of 17.9 percent in 2017. Sales increased from 30,544 units in 2016 to 36,007…

Audi Canada achieves 17.9 percent growth for another record year in 2017

2018 Audi Q5
Sales of Audi’s new 2018 Q5 grew by 23.5 percent last year. (Photo: Audi)

While sales of some premium brands are more or less flat in Canada, Audi’s Canadian division has been on a charge with growth of 17.9 percent in 2017.

Sales increased from 30,544 units in 2016 to 36,007 last year, thanks in part to the all-new 2018 Q5 compact SUV that was up 23.5 percent from 8,313 to 10,271 units, once again the most popular in its class by a long shot.

If you think this upswing is all about buyers’ collective preference for SUVs over cars, consider that the redesigned 2018 A5 sports coupe increased its sales by 142.1 percent in 2017, from 1,516 units to 3,671, while the new A4 Sedan and A4 Allroad crossover wagon were up 16.1 percent over the same 12 months, from 6,031 to 7,007 units.

2018 Audi A5 Sportback
Sales of the new 2018 A5 grew by a staggering 142.1 percent in 2017, helped considerably by the entirely new A5 Sportback five-door. (Photo: Audi)

Incidentally, if you add those two D-segment totals together you end up with a sum of 10,678 units, which means the A4/A5 threesome almost matched the mighty Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan and Coupe, which managed just 170 units more for a total of 10,848, while BMW’s combined 3 and 4 Series sales weren’t that much farther ahead with 11,440 deliveries.

2018 Audi S4
Audi’s ever-popular A4 line, which includes the namesake A4, the A4 Allroad and the sportiest S4 (shown), found 16.1 percent more buyers in 2017. (Photo: Audi)

Other than R8 supercar deliveries that spiked by 48.7 percent from 158 to 235 units, most of Audi’s other models grew at a more modest pace, with Q7 sales increasing by 7.6 percent from 4,335 to 4,666 units, A3 deliveries up 5.3 percent from 3,795 to 3,997 units, A6 popularity growing by 4.1 percent from 834 to 868 buyers, and the compact TT sports car finding 3.7 percent more takers from 599 to 621 units, while the only Audi losers were the Q3, which was off by 3.5 percent from 3,860 to 3,724 units, the mid-size A7 Sportback, down by 14.2 percent from 887 to 761, and the full-size A8 flagship sedan dropping 13.9 percent from 216 to 186 units.

2018 Audi Q7
Sales of the new Q7 were so strong in 2016 that last year’s deliveries only grew by 7.6 percent, which is still impressive by most other brands’ standards. (Photo: Audi)

To be fair, Audi sales are only soft for products nearing the ends of their lifecycles, the new 2019 A8 set to arrive this fall, the fully redesigned A7 due to hit our market either later this year or early 2019, and the next-generation Q3 expected sometime in 2019.

Audi’s recent upswing in the Canadian market raises its jurisdictional profile at the brand’s Ingolstadt, Germany headquarters as well, with Canada “establishing itself as a firm fixture among the top ten largest markets,” stated a press release put out by the luxury brand earlier this month. This bodes well for future investment.

2018 Audi R8 V10
Sales of the R8 supercar increased by a stunning 48.7 percent in 2017. (Photo: Audi)

With 1,878,100 vehicles sold globally, Audi saw growth of 0.6 percent through 2017, from 1,867,738 units delivered worldwide the year before. Surprisingly, sales in China were only up 1.1 percent last year, while the Eurozone, which appears to be on the upswing by most economic factors, only grew by 0.4 percent, albeit certain markets were individually strong, with France up by 3.6 percent, Spain by 8.1 percent, and Italy by 10.5 percent.

2019 Audi A8
Sales of the A8 dropped by 13.9 percent last year, but they should pick up when the redesigned 2019 A8 arrives this coming fall. (Photo: Audi)

Last year the U.S. saw an overall vehicle market decline for the first time since 2009, dipping by 2.0 percent to 17.2 million units, but nevertheless Audi’s sales grew by 7.8 percent. This increase was dampened by a 1.8 percent decrease in Mexico and a plunge of 16.5 percent in Brazil, although these two markets, while presenting strong future growth opportunities, are not yet seen as core markets by Audi.

“Despite a very challenging situation we achieved positive growth in all core markets in 2017 and achieved a new record-breaking sales result worldwide,” said Bram Schot, Board Member for Sales and Marketing at AUDI AG. “Every single market contributed to this outcome. This demonstrates the attractiveness of our product portfolio to our customers.”