The Ford F-Series pickup is tops among the most popular cars in Canada.
The Toyota Corolla topples the Honda Civic and becomes the country’s best-selling passenger car.
Ford Explorer and Kia Seltos enter the top 20, knocking the Nissan Kicks and Volkswagen Tiguan down.
As the global pandemic and the microchip shortage are started to get smaller in our collective rearview mirror, dealer inventory levels started to improve of the course of the year. Purchasing a new vehicle is still a challenge, but at least things are slowly improving, and as usual, here’s the list of the most popular cars in Canada through the full 2022 calendar year.
Sales in Canada were up by 1.3% during the fourth quarter of the year, with 351,816 units sold against 347,310. However, overall 2022 sales were down by 8.8% year-over-year, with 1,514,465 units sold versus 1,660,414. Here are the top 20 light vehicles in Canada during the 2022 calendar year.
20. Subaru Crosstrek
Q4 2022 sales: 3,021 units
Q4 2021 sales: 4,622 units
Difference: -34.6%
Total 2022 sales: 15,452 units
Total 2021 sales: 23,342 units
Difference: -33.8%
Low dealer supply was likely a factor in the Subaru Crosstrek’s 20th place finish, down from 15th place during the 2021 calendar year. The subcompact crossover also slipped from 18th to 20th place in the fourth quarter alone.
19. Ford Explorer
Q4 2022 sales: 2,940 units
Q4 2021 sales: 4,055 units
Difference: -27.5%
Total 2022 sales: 15,766 units
Total 2021 sales: 16,388 units
Difference: -3.8%
Ford Explorer sales took a dive in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. That contrasts with Q3 2022 sales which were pretty good. As a result, the Explorer slid from 17th to 19th place in the last quarter, but moved up from the 21st place it held at the conclusion of the 2021 calendar year—bumping the Nissan Kicks out of the top 20.
18. Toyota Highlander
Q4 2022 sales: 3,558 units
Q4 2021 sales: 4,050 units
Difference: -12.1%
Total 2022 sales: 15,867 units
Total 2021 sales: 19,885 units
Difference: -20.2%
In the same vein as the overall new-vehicle market, the Toyota Highlander saw its sales drop in the fourth quarter, leading to a total 20.2% decrease over the course of the calendar year. The Highlander dropped from 17th to 18th place among the most popular cars in Canada, but oddly enough, climbed a spot during the last quarter.
17. Kia Seltos
Q4 2022 sales: 4,336 units
Q4 2021 sales: 2,486 units
Difference: +74.4%
Total 2022 sales: 16,165 units
Total 2021 sales: 14,436 units
Difference: +12.0%
The Kia Seltos blasted up the charts this year, rising from 24th to 17th place thanks to strong Q3 and Q4 sales. And especially the last quarter with a staggering 74.4% increase in sales. It also bumped the Volkswagen Tiguan off the top 20 list.
16. Jeep Grand Cherokee
Q4 2022 sales: 3,371 units
Q4 2021 sales: 5,408 units
Difference: -37.7%
Total 2022 sales: 16,682 units
Total 2021 sales: 19,433 units
Difference: -14.2%
Now available in two-row and three-row configurations, the Jeep Grand Cherokee posted strong sales through the first half of the year, but the third and fourth quarters weren’t as good. Sales were down almost 38 percent in Q4, but the Grand Cherokee still managed to close the 2022 calendar year in 16th place, up two spots compared to 2021.
15. Nissan Rogue
Q4 2022 sales: 5,729 units
Q4 2021 sales: 4,472 units
Difference: +28.1%
Total 2022 sales: 20,144 units
Total 2021 sales: 29,926 units
Difference: -32.7%
The 2022 calendar year wasn’t a very memorable one for the Nissan Rogue as sales were significantly down compared to last year. However, the situation improved in the fourth quarter with an increase of 28.1%. The Rogue finished the year in 15th place, down five compared to the conclusion of 2021.
14. Hyundai Tucson
Q4 2022 sales: 5,741 units
Q4 2021 sales: 4,481 units
Difference: +28.1%
Total 2022 sales: 21,884 units
Total 2021 sales: 25,487 units
Difference: -14.1%
The Hyundai Tucson is another compact crossover that enjoyed a strong fourth quarter sales drive, preceded by milder sales numbers through the first half of the year. Overall, the Tucson showed great consistency by ranking 14th among the most popular cars in Canada in 2022—same as in 2021.
13. Ford Escape
Q4 2022 sales: 4,048 units
Q4 2021 sales: 5,094 units
Difference: -20.5%
Total 2022 sales: 23,848 units
Total 2021 sales: 25,960 units
Difference: -8.1%
Sales of the Ford Escape were down both in the fourth quarter and through the entire calendar year, which has been the case for a bunch of vehicles in 2022. The Escape briefly moved up to 10th place thanks to strong Q1 and Q2 results, but lost momentum in the second half of the year. It lands in 13th place, just like last year.
12. Mazda CX-5
Q4 2022 sales: 5,186 units
Q4 2021 sales: 4,629 units
Difference: +12.0%
Total 2022 sales: 23,954 units
Total 2021 sales: 26,571 units
Difference: -9.8%
It would’ve been understandable to see Mazda CX-5 sales diminish after the launch of the bigger and more rugged-looking CX-50. However, shoppers flocked to the CX-5 in Q4, although the crossover’s sales dropped by almost 10 percent through the entire, year, slipping from 12th to 13th place among the most popular cars in Canada.
11. Jeep Wrangler
Q4 2022 sales: 4,842 units
Q4 2021 sales: 5,635 units
Difference: -14.1%
Total 2022 sales: 23,994 units
Total 2021 sales: 20,026 units
Difference: +19.8%
The addition of a plug-in hybrid powertrain has given the Jeep Wrangler an extra boost in sales, and the SUV is one of the best-selling PHEVs in North America. Sales were down 14.1% in the fourth quarter, but the rest of the year has been very good for Stellantis, allowing the Wrangler to climb from 16th to 11th place compared to the 2021 calendar year.
10. Hyundai Elantra
Q4 2022 sales: 4,574 units
Q4 2021 sales: 6,164 units
Difference: -25.8%
Total 2022 sales: 24,559 units
Total 2021 sales: 26,312 units
Difference: -6.7%
Once again, there’s a changing of the guard at a mainstream automaker as Hyundai’s best-selling vehicle in Canada is no longer a sedan, but a crossover. The Hyundai Elantra actually moved up from 12th to 10th place on the list compared to last year, but Q4 results weren’t good with a 25.8% drop. It’s still the third best-selling passenger car in the country, and is slowly closing in on the sedan that’s now in the number two spot.
9. Hyundai Kona
Q4 2022 sales: 5,455 units
Q4 2021 sales: 7,340 units
Difference: -25.7%
YTD 2022 sales: 24,579 units
YTD 2021 sales: 31,101 units
Difference: -21.0%
The Hyundai Kona’s sales numbers were far from spectacular in both the fourth quarter and the entire calendar year. However, the crossover managed to squeak by the Elantra by a scant 20 units to grab 9th place among the most popular cars in Canada. Not only is the Kona the best-selling subcompact utility vehicle in Canada, but it’s now Hyundai’s highest-volume nameplate in the country.
8. Honda Civic
Q4 2022 sales: 5,813 units
Q4 2021 sales: 10,584 units
Difference: -45.1%
Total 2022 sales: 29,722 units
Total 2021 sales: 43,556 units
Difference: -31.8%
The Honda Civic‘s consistent sales decline is slowly pulling the compact car down the sales charts. It’s now in 8th place, down a spot compared to the 2021 calendar year. The big news here is that the Civic is no longer the #1 best-selling passenger car in Canada, a title it held for 24 years.
7. Honda CR-V
Q4 2022 sales: 8,636 units
Q4 2021 sales: 7,991 units
Difference: +8.1%
Total 2022 sales: 32,096 units
Total 2021 sales: 50,935 units
Difference: -37.0%
An all-new 2023 Honda CR-V arrived in dealerships over the course of the year, and helped reverse the crossover’s downward sales spiral, if only for the fourth quarter. Overall 2022 sales dropped 37 percent, resulting in the CR-V slipping from 6th to 7th place on this list.
6. Toyota Corolla
Q4 2022 sales: 6,566 units
Q4 2021 sales: 6,392 units
Difference: +2.7%
Total 2022 sales: 33,096 units
Total 2021 sales: 40,019 units
Difference: -17.3%
The Toyota Corolla enjoyed a mild sales gain in the fourth quarter, but overall in 2022, we’re looking at a 17.3% drop. That was sufficient to propel the Corolla up from 8th to 6th place, but more importantly, it toppled the Civic as the country’s best-selling passenger car. On the other hand, consumers’ love for pickup trucks can’t be matched by the popular compact nameplate.
5. GMC Sierra
Q4 2022 sales: 13,395 units
Q4 2021 sales: 10,994 units
Difference: +21.8%
Total 2022 sales: 52,318 units
Total 2021 sales: 53,757 units
Difference: -2.7%
Combined sales of the GMC Sierra 1500 and GMC Sierra HD were down in the first half of the year, but gained momentum in the second half, consolidating the pickup line’s 5th place among the most popular cars in Canada.
4. Chevrolet Silverado
Q4 2022 sales: 11,355 units
Q4 2021 sales: 10,049 units
Difference: +13.0%
Total 2022 sales: 53,281 units
Total 2021 sales: 51,684 units
Difference: +3.1%
The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the Chevrolet Silverado HD combined for a 13 percent rise in sales through the fourth quarter, and a 3.1% gain over the course of the year. The Silverado switched positions with the Sierra in the rankings, the latter having been the better seller in Canada in the past 10 years. Yet, there are two other full-size pickups and a compact crossover that enjoyed greater sales numbers this year.
3. Toyota RAV4
Q4 2022 sales: 13,432 units
Q4 2021 sales: 9,106 units
Difference: +47.5%
Total 2022 sales: 55,921 units
Total 2021 sales: 61,934 units
Difference: -9.7%
The country’s most popular utility vehicle ended the 2022 calendar year in superb fashion, with a 47.5% rise in sales. Overall, not as many Toyota RAV4 units rolled off the dealer lot compared to last year, but the result is that the crossover kept its 3rd place finish, which isn’t an easy task given the current popularity of pickup trucks.
2. Ram Pickup
Q4 2022 sales: 18,941 units
Q4 2021 sales: 18,809 units
Difference: +0.7%
YTD 2022 sales: 75,740 units
YTD 2021 sales: 73,467 units
Difference: +3.1%
Combined Ram 1500 and Ram HD pickup sales have once again resulted in a second-place finish. Consistency was the key factor here, with a near-identical standing in Q4 2022 compared to the same period last year, and a three percent increase through the entire calendar year. The Ram Pickup caught up slightly to the #1 nameplate, but that wasn’t enough. Still, being #2 isn’t bad at all.
1. Ford F-Series
Q4 2022 sales: 30,426 units
Q4 2021 sales: 27,980 units
Difference: +8.7%
YTD 2022 sales: 114,729 units
YTD 2021 sales: 116,401 units
Difference: -1.4%
Ford F-150 and Ford Super Duty sales may have dropped by 1.4% in 202, but the pickup line’s supremacy was at no point threatened through the year. The fourth quarter was particularly good with an 8.7% increase. The Ford F-Series once again dominates the list of the most popular cars in Canada.
