MONTREAL, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (N:FCAU) NV
FCHA.MI said on Tuesday its Canadian sales rose 2 percent to
21,961 vehicles in December from the same month a year earlier,
as forecasters expect automakers to report record-breaking
Canadian sales in 2015.
FCA Canada also announced full-year sales for 2015 of
293,061 vehicles, compared with 290,004 in 2014, driven by
demand for its Jeep and Ram brands.
In a statement, David Buckingham, FCA Canada's chief
operating officer said "2015 marked our best sales volume in our
90-year history."
The Canadian numbers come as automakers on Tuesday reported
strong U.S. sales in December, indicating that 2015 would smash
records, with most forecasters predicting the new year will be
even better.
Canadian automotive analyst Dennis DesRosiers predicted
Monday that 2015 auto sales in Canada 2015 would break records
for the third year in a row.
He said automakers are expected to sell around 1.9 million
light vehicles in Canada, up from just over 1.8 million in 2014,
as cheaper gas and increased demand in the country's largest two
provinces, Quebec and Ontario, offset weakness in Alberta caused
by sinking oil prices.
"And we expect more of the same this year so there is an
excellent chance of sales growth in 2016," DesRosiers wrote in
an email.