Record auto sales in 2017

Photo: The Canadian Press

Canadians last year purchased more than two million vehicles for the first time, thanks to record sales of light trucks.

DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. says new vehicles sold in 2017 hit a record for a fifth consecutive year as nearly 2.04 million units left showrooms.

That marked a 4.6 per cent increase over 2016 and the eighth year in a row of sales increases since the financial crisis of 2009.

The annual sales level was reached despite lower sales in the last two months of the year when sales fell 1.1 per cent in December and 1.2 per cent in November.

DesRosiers says light trucks sales grew 8.7 per cent to nearly 1.4 million units last year.

Passenger car sales were down 3.4 per cent to about 640,000 units, the lowest level since 1964.

Ford led 2017 with about 308,500 unit sales with General Motors close behind with about 302,800 vehicles sold.