OTTAWA (CP) -- Sales of new motor vehicles rose 6.3 percent in March to 122,194, the largest monthly growth since January 2008.
Statistics Canada attributes the increase mainly to higher truck sales.
The agency says preliminary industry data for April indicate the number of new motor vehicles sold was essentially unchanged from March.
Sales of new trucks (including minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses) were up 11 percent to 60,577 in March, more than offsetting the decline in truck sales in February.
Sales of passenger cars rose two percent to 61,617 units, the third straight increase after strong declines at the end of 2008.
The number of new motor vehicles sold in March rose in all provinces, with Quebec the main contributor at a 10.4 percent rise in sales accounting for around 45 percent of the national increase.
Sales in Ontario were up for the third straight month, rising 5.8 percent. The lowest growth rate was a 1.8 percent increase in Alberta.