Aren’t We All Part of the Same Automotive Market?

When it comes to the automotive market in North America you might think the US and Canada are one in the same, but the reality is there are vehicles that are much more successful in Canada than the US. Not only are there some vehicles which sell better up north, but Canada has served as a testing ground for some vehicles before they’re offered in the US and in some cases there are cars that just fit the Canadian market much better than ours here in the US. Here are several vehicles that are sold in Canada but not in the US.

Kia Rondo – The Rondo was sold in the US at one point, but it was not the sales leader Kia was looking for. Kia sold 73,100 Rondo models in the US between 2006 and 2011, but the peak year of 2008 which saw 28,645 Rondos move off the lots saw the vehicle drop after that. Even though the Rondo is still sold in Canada and shows up with a new generation in 2014 the sales in Canada are dropping, but at least it’s still sold up north.

Mazda5 – This small minivan which feels like an oversized hatchback more than a minivan eventually failed in the US and was deleted from the lineup. Even though sales are only half for this year of what they were in 2015 Mazda Canada will continue to market the Mazda5 for 2017 in hopes of a bounce back year.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class (gasoline only) – The B-Class is sold in the US, but only as an EV while in Canada this car captures about seven percent of the sales for Mercedes-Benz Canada. This is a car that has been sold since 2005 in Canada in the B250 and B250 4Matic and is one of the most popular cars sold in Canada on the luxury market.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Wagon – The wagon version made its way to the Canadian market this year and already shows a strong sales presence. In our SUV littered market in the US this is a car that wouldn’t perform well as proved by the low sales the last time it was sold here as a wagon, which was 2005. In Canada shoppers can buy this car as the C300d 4Matic giving them a diesel engine and AWD.

Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback – Showing off some sporty style that was more like Mitsubishi of old the Lancer Sportback was offered in the US through 2014 and then gone. This car is still sold in Canada and already is planned to continue to be part of the Canadian lineup through 2017. Beyond that it will be surprising if this car continues to be offered in North America at all.

Nissan Micra – Here’s a car that showed up with an advertised price under $10,000 which is unheard of on either market today. This car burst on the scene in 2014 and eventually caused Nissan Canada to rethink the Versa. This car is one of the best-selling cars for Nissan in Canada and is a fantastic small starter car for young Canadians to drive.

Toyota Venza – The Venza was cancelled in the US after the 2015 model year, but it sells extremely well in Canada. While we love the Camry in the US, Canadians flock to the Venza which outsold the Camry for several years. This is a small SUV that continues to produce great numbers for Toyota in Canada, giving it a strong place in the market.

Toyota Yaris Sedan – Soon the Yaris will be sold in sedan form in the US as the Yaris iA but until the recent decision to dissolve the Scion brand the Yaris was only sold in sedan form in Canada. This car really is a Mazda 2 that’s been rebadged, which isn’t sold in either country, but as of the next writing of this article the Yaris sedan will have to be removed from the list.