UPDATE 2-Canada auto sales continue to slide in April

(Adds Chrysler, Ford Canada results)
TORONTO, May 1 (Reuters) - Canadian auto sales continued to
tumble in April as consumers remained wary of spending on
big-ticket items because of the global recession, industry
figures showed on Friday.
No. 1 automaker General Motors of Canada said it
sold 29,800 cars and trucks in the month, down 23.6 percent
from April 2008. Year-to-date sales are down 34.1 percent from
2008, it said.
Toyota Canada Inc <7203.T> said its Toyota and Lexus
vehicle sales totaled 21,220 in April, down 16.6 percent from
April 2008, but leaving it as the country's No. 2 automaker.
This included 19,599 Toyotas sold during the month, it added.
Sales at Chrysler Canada [CBS.UL] plunged 36.8 percent to
15,242 units from a year ago, while Ford Canada saw a
drop of 10.5 percent to 18,782 units, according to data
compiled by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc.
In a statement, Dennis DesRosiers, the head of the
consulting firm, referred to April as "another terrible month"
for sales, adding: "don't expect this to get any better."
Honda Canada Inc <7267.T> said combined April sales at its
Honda and Acura divisions fell 29 percent from a year earlier
to 13,295 units.
"Although our April results are down from record April 2008
results, they are only off by 12 percent over 2007 sales
results," Jerry Chenkin, executive vice-president at Honda
Canada, said in a statement.
(Reporting by Wojtek Dabrowski; editing by Rob Wilson)
((wojtek.dabrowski@reuters.com; +1-416-941-8009; Reuters
Messaging: wojtek.dabrowski.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: AUTOS/CANADA SALES

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