Article content

TORONTO • Fiat Chrysler Automobiles took the Canadian auto-sales crown for the first time in 2015, capitalizing on skyrocketing consumer demand for SUVs and pickup trucks in another record-setting year for the industry.

The company, which sells Ram pickups, Jeep SUVs and Dodge cars, sold 15.4 per cent of the vehicles bought in Canada last year. This was the first time FCA Canada has managed to outsell both Ford Canada and General Motors Canada, which had full-year market share of 14.7 per cent and 13.9 per cent, respectively.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Fiat Chrysler Automobiles takes first sales crown in another record-setting year for Canadian auto sales Back to video

“Given the history that we’ve had and where we were — particularly back in 2008 and 2009 when a number of people had us completely written off — to now be stronger than ever in our entire 90-year history is a little bit counter-intuitive for people, and makes being No. 1 that much sweeter,” Reid Bigland, CEO of FCA Canada, said in an interview.

Industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers attributed Fiat’s performance to production issues at Ford Motor Co., which hurt sales of its top-selling F-Series pickup trucks.