Although 2018 ended as the second-highest-volume year in the history of the Canadian auto industry, overall sales volume steadily declined over the course of the year. The decline culminated with more significant drops in November, when sales fell to a 4-year November low, and again in December as sales fell to the lowest total for the final month of the year since 2013.

Much of the degrading volume can be seen among Canada’s most popular vehicles. Among the 10 best-selling vehicle nameplates in Canada over the last 12 months, 8 reported fewer sales in 2018 than in 2017. In fact, the decreased sales reported by those 8 nameplates – a pickup truck quartet, three cars, and a long-time best-selling SUV that’s since been eclipsed – amounts to more than 42,000 lost sales. In a market that declined by roughly 54,000 sales over the course of the year, the slowing demand of Canada’s most dominant vehicles is a huge story.

And yet, most held on to their former positions. Only 2017’s 10th-ranked vehicle, the Dodge Grand Caravan, dropped out of the top 10. (Grand Caravan volume tumbled by nearly a third in 2018.) That made way for a new No.10, but the nine leaders remained intact: last year’s top seller held on for a 10th consecutive year, the second-ranked vehicle for an 8th consecutive year, and the third-ranked vehicle has likewise held steady in that spot since 2011.

That’s not to say Canada’s new vehicle market isn’t changing. Passenger cars are fading fast, collecting only 29 per cent of all auto sales. After surging to record levels in 2017, full-size pickup truck sales dropped off precipitously in 2018. SUVs and crossovers, meanwhile, are keeping many manufacturers afloat as they lose so many car sales that the elimination of passenger car lineups ceases to surprise.

From a narrow selection of segments, with figures from the Global Automakers of Canada, these were Canada’s 10 best-selling vehicles in 2018.

10. Hyundai Elantra: 41,784, down 9 per cent

Once seen as the vehicle that could overtake the Honda Civic – and it often did, on a monthly basis – the Hyundai Elantra is now a distant third-place candidate in the passenger-car battle. The Elantra narrowed the race to a slim margin in 2013, when sales of the Hyundai peaked and Civic volume was only 16 per cent stronger. But Honda now sells 65 per cent more Civics than Hyundai sells Elantras. Elantra volume slipped to an eight-year low.

9. Ford Escape: 43,857, down 8 per cent

Long the top-selling SUV in Canada, the Ford Escape gave up its crown in 2016 and hasn’t regained it since. In 2018, Escape volume fell to an eight-year low. As Ford preps for the launch of a new Escape in 2019, consumers will be looking for the Escape to do a better job of matching the spacious interiors of its two top rivals, but Ford will also want to avoid nudging the Escape into the Edge’s territory.

8. Toyota Corolla: 48,796, down 3 per cent

In 2019, there will be an all-new Corolla sedan to join the latest Corolla hatchback. Typically, the fresh launch of a globally popular car would result in straightforward predictions of increased volume. That’s more difficult to project now that Canadians are turning away from cars in such large numbers. The Corolla remains hugely popular, but sales have fallen 15 per cent since the recession.

7. Honda CR-V: 54,879, up 9 per cent

For almost the entire year, the Honda CR-V was Canada’s most popular SUV/crossover. But the surging Honda’s momentum slowed late in the year as availability waned and then disappeared despite a huge December. The Canadian-built CR-V’s top rival, which is also built in Canada, reported an even bigger December. Canadian CR-V sales have more than doubled since 2011.

6. Chevrolet Silverado: 55,334, down 6 per cent

Although a part of Chevrolet’s Silverado decline in 2018 can be blamed on a transition phase that’s seen GM prepare for the launch of an all-new model, the Silverado also suffered from the same plight as its rivals. Full-size pickup truck demand appears to have peaked in 2017, when nearly 390,000 big trucks were sold. In 2018, the Silverado simply couldn’t match its own 2017 record, sliding by nearly 4,000 units.

5. Toyota RAV4: 55,385, up 9 per cent

For a third consecutive year, the Toyota RAV4 was Canada’s top-selling utility vehicle. 2018 was the RAV4’s seventh consecutive year of growth, an impressive feat given the age of the 2018 RAV4 – there’s an all-new model for 2019. Toyota benefits from a unique offering in the compact SUV segment: a hybrid, hundreds of which are sold each month.

4. GMC Sierra: 56,242, down 9 per cent

After reaching record levels in 2017, the GMC Sierra dropped off in 2018 as General Motors approached the launch of a new iteration of its full-size trucks. It’s worth noting that the Sierra and its corporate twin, the Chevrolet Silverado, combined for 111,576 total sales in 2018, far more than their Ram rival. Moreover, while Ford (for the moment) and Ram go without smaller trucks, General Motors added another 16,054 pickup truck sales via its midsize duo, the Colorado and Canyon.

3. Honda Civic: 69,005, down 0.04 per cent

Only half a decade ago, the Honda Civic’s share of Canada’s passenger car market was 8 per cent. It was a staggering figure, but it’s now far overshadowed by a 12 per cent share of the Canadian car market. 2018 saw the Civic claim Canada’s title as the best-selling car for a 21st consecutive year, and the Civic did so in dominant fashion by maintaining its equilibrium in a rapidly declining car market. The Civic outsold its closest rival by a 41 per cent margin.

2. Ram 1500: 84,854, down 14 per cent

In a year of transition for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ leading product, Ram volume fell to a five-year low. Ram’s importance in the FCA family can’t be overstated: Canadian Ram volume was stronger in 2018 than the efforts of the entire Jeep brand and 33 per cent stronger than the combined totals achieved by Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, and Alfa Romeo.

1. Ford F-Series: 145,694, down 6 per cent

For a tenth consecutive year, the Ford F-Series is Canada’s best-selling vehicle, a feat accomplished in 2018 even as F-Series sales dropped by nearly 10,000 units. For most vehicles, that kind of drop would be catastrophic. For the F-Series, it means it had secured the title of Canada’s best-selling vehicle by the first week of August. The F-Series generates 50 per cent of Ford Canada’s sales, and a far greater percentage of the company’s profits.