[ssiguy]

Not only is it sad to see their slow death but also damn well dangerous.

Notice how all the companies bowing out are the NA ones. They state it's due to the derclining market which is a falsehood. It's not the declining market but rather their inability to compete in it. You don't see VW, BMW, Audi, Mercedez, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Tesla, or Subaru leaving the sector.

Of course the mini-vans and especially SUVs are far more profitable per-vehicle than your standard car so this is why our 3 domestic producers have retrenched. That however is a dangerous move. The reason why people can afford these more expensive vehicles has nothing to do with rising wages and everything to do with ultra-low interest rates. People no longer view whether or not they can actually afford the vehicle but rather afford the payments.

In highly indebted Canada we have built an economy on debt but what happens when the interest rates rise and all of a sudden these far more expensive SUVs & trucks become too expensive for the pocket book? People will have to revert back to cheaper vehicles which means your standard car but there will be no NA options.

Gas is also realatively inexpensive {except Vancouver} but what happens when the price of oil potentially goes back up to over $100 barrel which can happen very quickly as it is the one commodity that is most succeptible to world geo-political tensions? These SUV are going to kill the soccer Moms. Trump also has an influence here. He has rolled back both emissions and fuel economy standard but what happens when a Democrat is re-elected and reintroduces them? The SUV will not meet either requirements.

There are also changing demographics. The suburban soccer Moms may like them but not older Canadians who want to drive in comfort and the kids are gone. Our growing senior population will go back to cars which now means complete foreign providers as the domestics are out of the game.