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At the narrowest margins, just under half of all vehicles sold in Canada in 2020 were SUVs and crossovers. However, this threshold was heavily trampled on in 2021, as 55 percent of new vehicles sold were utility vehicles of one variety or another.

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Indeed, variety is the key word. The SUV/crossover segment is the very definition of a big tent, with everything from the front-wheel-drive Hyundai Venue subcompact exclusively replacing the Accent, to the body-on-frame, solid-axle Jeep Wrangler catering to the modern evolution. Standard.

But which SUVs and crossovers are the most popular in Canada? (Index: a member of the aforementioned pair made the cut.)

Eight different auto brands are represented on Canada’s Favorite Utility Vehicles list as of 2021. Notable omissions include premium brands and any form of General Motors representation. Ten years ago, in 2011, the now extinct Dodge Journey ranked second among utility vehicles and other top 10 contenders included the Hyundai Santa Fe, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Edge and Kia Sorento, none of which are present here. The SUV ranked sixth in 2011 is now the No. 1 player. Half a decade ago, the Equinox, Edge, Santa Fe and Jeep Cherokee were among the top 10 most popular utility vehicles in Canada. They now rank 33rd, 20th, 15th and 31st respectively.

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Obviously, this is a corner of the market that is still very subject to change. Yet increasingly, Canadian buyers seem very reluctant to shy away from their favorite utility vehicle. The #1 SUV of 2021 leads the charts for the sixth consecutive year, accounting for 7% of all SUV/Crossovers sold in Canada.

10. Toyota Highlander: 19,885, up 46%

10th among SUVs and crossovers, the Toyota Highlander is first among three-row utility vehicles in Canada. Additionally, the Highlander is the best-selling three-row vehicle. The best-selling minivan in Canada is Toyota’s Sienna, whose sales totaled 11,868 units in 2021. reach 16,388 sales in 2021.

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9. Jeep Wrangler: 20,026, down 6%

The Jeep Wrangler is the only body-on-frame SUV on this list of Canada’s most popular utility vehicles, the only SUV with a low-end four-wheel-drive system, and certainly the only vehicle on the list with a fully removable top. The Wrangler is nothing if not distinct. Granted, there is finally some real competition for the Wrangler, although sadly in very limited numbers so far. Sales of the Ford Bronco in the fourth quarter – not the Bronco Sport, just the Bronco – reached 2,739, about half of Jeep’s Q4’s 5,635 units.

8. Subaru Crosstrek: 23,342, up 35%

In a year in which sales of Subaru’s other small utility vehicle slumped – the Forester fell 12% – Crosstrek volume was a critical part of Subaru Canada’s strategy. The Crosstrek was used for 4 out of 10 Subaru sales. While we used to think of the Crosstrek as a lifted and clad Impreza hatch, the fact that the Crosstrek now outsells the Impreza by more than 5 to 1 suggests we should probably now refer to the Impreza as a lowered, stripped-back Crosstrek. .

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7. Hyundai Tucson: 25,487, up 8%

Despite its wild styling, the Hyundai Tucson is now somewhat overshadowed by its smaller sibling, the Kona. But that’s not to say the Tucson doesn’t pump out serious volume. Hyundai Canada now sells almost as many Tucsons as Elantras. (Elantra volume grew 20% to 26,312 in 2021.) Hyundai hasn’t been quick to adopt an SUV-focused lineup, but the brand now sells 14% more utility vehicles in Canada than four GM brands combined.

6. Ford Escape: 25,960, up 9%

The days when the Ford Escape was automatically the best-selling SUV in Canada are over. (Its long leadership streak ended in 2015.) But now, judging Ford’s small SUV selling prowess on the Escape alone is a misjudgment. Ford approaches the compact SUV segment from two angles: with the Escape and the Bronco Sport. The duo’s combined sales soared to 37,054 in 2021, a 55% year-over-year improvement for the Blue Oval.

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5. Mazda CX-5: 26,571, up 7%

Whether Mazda can continue to ramp up CX-5 sales once the higher-end, more exterior CX-50 hits dealerships in May remains to be seen. As for 2021, Mazda CX-5 volume jumped 7%, a gain of 1,625 units. It wasn’t a huge improvement; many SUVs achieved much larger increases. Still, for the CX-5, it was remarkable considering its return to standard. 2021 was the CX-5’s 10th year on the market, and only once – during pandemic-controlled 2020 – Mazda Canada reported a year-over-year decrease in the CX-5.

4. Nissan Rogue: 29,926, up 15%

If, in a decade or two, we look back at a perfectly healthy Nissan brand while remembering the devastating fiscal reports of 2019 and 2020, we’ll likely see the launch of the third-generation Rogue as the turning point for Nissan. It’s not Nissan’s only success – the Kicks was an over-performer too – but the Rogue is very clearly the foundation of the brand. There are nearly twice as many Rogues sold as Nissan cars, for example. And after seeing Rogue’s volume slip 37% between 2018 and 2020, the sight of a 2021 rebound twice as strong as the overall market is a sight for sore eyes.

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3. Hyundai Kona: 31,101, up 17%

Leading its subcompact segment, the Hyundai Kona has torn up sales charts since its introduction in 2018. Through the end of 2021, more than 98,000 Konas have been sold in Canada, with consecutive upgrades from year on year within the limits of the pandemic. Kona volume jumped 79% in 2019, 3% in 2020 and 17% in 2021, with limited supply.

2. Honda CR-V: 50,935, up 14%

It’s certainly no coincidence that Canada’s two best-selling SUVs are made in Canada. (The Honda Civic, Canada’s 24-time best-selling car, is also assembled in Ontario.) — but that wasn’t enough to close the gap to the six-time winner. 2021 was the fifth-generation CR-V’s fifth model year. Expect a hybrid version to join an all-new iteration of the CR-V for the 2023 model year.

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1. Toyota RAV4: 61,934, up 7%

With little competition for the SUV throne, Toyota can now focus on pushing the RAV4 up the overall vehicle rankings in Canada. The RAV4 is the third best-selling vehicle in Canada; only two wide ranges of pickups are higher, but with extremely higher sales results. As powerful as the RAV4 is, it’s part of a relatively balanced Toyota lineup. “Only” 31% of Toyota’s sales in 2021 came from the RAV4. Along with its 61,934 sales, there were also about 60,000 car sales, nearly 22,000 pickup truck sales, nearly 12,000 minivan sales, plus some 44,000 other SUV/crossover sales, not to mention… a record 25,907 units launched by Lexus.