By the narrowest of margins, just under half of all vehicles sold in Canada in 2020 were SUVs and crossovers. That threshold was heavily trod upon in 2021, however, as 55 per cent of the new vehicles sold were utility vehicles of one variety or another.
Indeed, variety is the key word. The SUV/crossover segment is the very definition of a big tent, with everything from the exclusively front-wheel-drive, Accent-replacing subcompact Hyundai Venue to the body-on-frame, solid-axle-equipped Jeep Wrangler meeting the evolving modern standard.
But which SUVs and crossovers are the most popular in Canada? (Hint: one member of the pair mentioned above made the cut.)
Eight different auto brands are represented on the list of Canada’s favourite utility vehicles from 2021. Notable omissions include both premium brands and any form of representation from General Motors. A decade ago, in 2011, the now extinguished Dodge Journey ranked second among utility vehicles and other top 10 finishers included the Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge, and Kia Sorento — none of which are present here. 2011’s sixth-ranked SUV is now the No.1 player. A half-decade ago, the Equinox, Edge, Santa Fe, and Jeep Cherokee were among the 10 most popular utility vehicles in Canada — now they rank 33rd, 20th, 15th, and 31st, respectively.
Clearly, this is a corner of the market that’s still very much subject to change. Yet increasingly, there appears to be very little appetite among Canadian shoppers to turn away from their favourite utility vehicle. 2021’s No.1 SUV topped the leaderboard for the sixth consecutive year, accounting for 7 per cent of all SUVs/crossovers sold in Canada.
10. Toyota Highlander: 19,885, up 46 per cent
10th among SUVs and crossovers overall, the Toyota Highlander is first among three-row utility vehicles in Canada. Moreover, the Highlander is the best-selling three-row vehicle full stop. Canada’s best-selling minivan is Toyota’s own Sienna, sales of which totalled 11,868 units in 2021. The Highlander’s closest exclusively three-row rival is the Ford Explorer, which posted a 1-per-cent uptick to 16,388 sales in 2021.
9. Jeep Wrangler: 20,026, down 6 per cent
The Jeep Wrangler is the only body-on-frame SUV on this list of Canada’s most popular utility vehicles, the only SUV with a low-range-equipped four-wheel-drive system, and most definitely the only vehicle on the list with a fully removable top. The Wrangler is nothing if not distinct. Granted, there’s finally some real competition for the Wrangler, though sadly in severely limited numbers to date. Fourth-quarter sales of the Ford Bronco — not the Bronco Sport, just Bronco — hit 2,739, just about half of Jeep’s 5,635-unit Q4.
8. Subaru Crosstrek: 23,342, up 35 per cent
During a year in which sales of Subaru’s other small utility vehicle tanked — the Forester was down 12 per cent — Crosstrek volume was an essential component of Subaru Canada’s strategy. The Crosstrek was relied upon for 4 out of every 10 Subaru sales. While we used to think of the Crosstrek as an Impreza hatch lifted and cladded, the fact that the Crosstrek now outsells the Impreza by more than 5-to-1 suggests we should likely now refer to the Impreza as a Crosstrek lowered and de-cladded.
2022 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Photo by Justin Pritchard
7. Hyundai Tucson: 25,487, up 8 per cent
Despite its wild style, the Hyundai Tucson is now somewhat overshadowed by its smaller sibling, the Kona. But that’s not to suggest the Tucson isn’t pumping out major volume. Hyundai Canada now sells very nearly as many Tucsons as Elantras. (Elantra volume rose 20 per cent to 26,312 in 2021.) Hyundai wasn’t quick to adopt an SUV-focused lineup, but the brand now sells 14-per-cent more utility vehicles in Canada than GM’s four brands combined.
6. Ford Escape: 25,960, up 9 per cent
Gone are the days when the Ford Escape was automatically Canada’s top-selling SUV. (Its long leadership streak came to an end in 2015.) But now, to judge Ford’s small SUV sales prowess on the Escape alone is a misjudgement. Ford approaches the compact SUV segment from two angles: with the Escape and Bronco Sport. Combined sales of the duo climbed to 37,054 in 2021, a 55-per-cent year-over-year improvement for the Blue Oval.
The 2022 Mazda CX-5 GT Sport Photo by Mazda
5. Mazda CX-5: 26,571, up 7 per cent
Whether Mazda can continue to grow its CX-5 sales once the upmarket and more outdoorsy CX-50 lands at dealers in May remains to be seen. As for 2021, Mazda CX-5 volume jumped 7 per cent, a gain of 1,625 units. It wasn’t a huge improvement; many SUVs carved out far greater increases. Yet for the CX-5 it was notable given its return to the norm. 2021 was the CX-5’s 10th year on the market, and only once — during the pandemic-controlled 2020 — had Mazda Canada ever reported a year-over-year CX-5 decrease.
4. Nissan Rogue: 29,926, up 15 per cent
If, in a decade or two, we examine a perfectly healthy Nissan brand whilst remembering the devastating fiscal reports from 2019 and 2020, we’re likely to view the launch of the third-generation Rogue as the turning point for Nissan. It’s not Nissan’s only hit — the Kicks has been an overachiever, as well — but the Rogue is very clearly the foundation of the brand. There are nearly twice as many Rogues sold as Nissan cars, for instance. And after watching Rogue volume slide 37 per cent between 2018 and 2020, the sight of a 2021 rebound that’s twice as strong as the overall market’s is a sight for sore eyes.
3. Hyundai Kona: 31,101, up 17 per cent
Tops in its subcompact segment, the Hyundai Kona has torn up the sales charts ever since its introduction in 2018. Through the end of 2021, over 98,000 Konas have been sold in Canada, with back-to-back year-over-year improvements in spite of the pandemic’s limitations. Kona volume jumped 79 per cent in 2019, 3 per cent in demand-constrained 2020, and 17 per cent in supply-constrained 2021.
2. Honda CR-V: 50,935, up 14 per cent
Surely it’s no coincidence that both of Canada’s top-selling SUVs are Canadian-made. (Canada’s 24-time best-selling car, the Honda Civic, is Ontario-assembled, as well.) The Alliston, Ontario-built Honda CR-V reported big gains in 2021 — bigger percent increases, in fact, than its top rival — but it wasn’t nearly enough to close the gap on the six-time winner. 2021 was the fifth model year for the fifth-generation CR-V. Expect a hybrid version to join an all-new iteration of the CR-V for the 2023 model year.
The Toyota RAV4 TRD chasing a Classic Car Adventures rally event across B.C. Photo by Brendan McAleer
1. Toyota RAV4: 61,934, up 7 per cent
With little competition for the throne among SUVs, Toyota can now focus on moving the RAV4 up the overall vehicle leaderboard in Canada. The RAV4 is Canada’s third-best-selling vehicle overall; only a pair of vast pickup truck lineups stand higher, albeit with wildly higher sales results. Powerful though the RAV4 may be, it’s actually part of a relatively balanced Toyota lineup. “Only” 31 per cent of Toyota sales in 2021 stemmed from the RAV4. Along with its 61,934 sales, there were also around 60,000 car sales, nearly 22,000 pickup truck sales, almost 12,000 minivan sales, plus some 44,000 other SUV/crossover sales, not to mention a record 25,907 units cranked out by Lexus.
Keyword: Driving By Numbers: Canada's 10 best-selling SUVs In 2021