As the auto industry experiences a downturn, one expert says some dealerships are “willing to do anything” to sell you a vehicle.
Many car manufacturers have announced cutbacks in recent weeks, including Volkswagen and Nissan, the latest of which will cut 9,000 jobs and reduce production by 20%.
“Sales are in free fall in China and the United States,” explained automotive columnist Antoine Joubert, in an interview with LCN. “These are extremely important markets for Nissan. In Canada, the company is doing relatively well, if we compare ourselves, but Canada is a very small market.”
He stressed that some manufacturers are having difficulty fighting against Chinese electric vehicles which are widely present in several countries.
Mr. Joubert believes that automakers in North America will need to find a way to reduce the cost of manufacturing vehicles to be competitive in the long term.
Contexte favorable
The automotive columnist believes that the context is therefore favorable to many buyers.
“Currently, there are manufacturers who will do anything to sell you a vehicle,” he said. “The classes are full. We are struggling to liquidate what we have in stock and we have pressure from the manufacturer to continue selling vehicles. So, we are ready to put big discounts on certain products.
“At the end of the year, it’s a very special market,” he added. “We know that the provincial credit will decrease from January. Right now, there are a lot of people going to dealerships to get an electric vehicle before December 31. The vehicle would cost $3,000 more in January.”
Watch the full interview in the video above.
