The Canadian wholesale vehicle market presented a mixed picture in the week ending March 22, according to Canadian Black Book (CBB). The weekly Market Insights report highlighted strong performance in certain segments, but the overall market experienced a slight downturn.
Seven vehicle segments saw value increases, the highest number for any week in 2025. Despite this, the overall market decreased by 0.17%, a more significant drop compared to the previous week’s 0.10% decline. Two segments experienced declines exceeding 1%. Full-size vans took the biggest hit, with values plummeting 1.37% (equating to a loss of $431) during the week. Compact vans also lost ground, falling 1.03% (or $195).
These losses counteracted gains observed in six truck and SUV segments. Full-size pickups led the way, increasing by 0.22% ($73), followed closely by full-size crossover/SUVs, which rose 0.20% ($72). However, these gains weren’t enough to prevent the truck/SUV average from falling by 0.22% overall.
Car segments also faced downward pressure, declining by 0.11%. Midsize cars were the only gainers in this category, appreciating by a nominal 0.01% ($2). Sub-compacts (-0.45%, $44) and compacts (-0.32%, $44) experienced the most substantial drops within the car segment.
Auction sale rates saw an increase, reaching 52.3%, with a range spanning from 32.3% to 71.4%. Retail prices experienced a slight decrease, averaging $34,950 based on a 14-day moving average.
The U.S. market showed significantly positive results. CBB analysts described the week as “another impressive week,” noting an increase of 0.29% in the average value of 2-to-8-year-old vehicles. This increase surpassed the largest pre-pandemic spring market’s weekly jump of 0.12%. Analysts also noted that this peak occurred a month earlier than usual for the spring market.
