Why are compact SUVs dominating this bracket so heavily?
The 67% SUV share reflects three years of Canadian new-car sales patterns from 2020 through 2023, when crossovers accounted for 75%+ of retail volume. Lease returns in 2025-2026 are largely crossovers because that is what dealers leased out in 2021-2022. Beyond supply, Canadian buyers increasingly expect AWD or 4WD as a baseline for winter use, and compact SUVs like the CR-V, RAV4, Tucson, Seltos and Rogue deliver it at this price. Sedans remain available and represent real value in this bracket, but the selection is narrower and weighted toward luxury models coming off lease.
























