The downward slope wasn’t as steep, but wholesale vehicle values still fell in Canada last week. And sales rates at auction remain inconsistent.

That’s according to the latest Market Insights report from Canadian Black Book, which said overall wholesale prices fell 0.2% for the week ending Saturday, compared to a 0.3% decline the prior week.

The average drop for the same weeks of 2017-2019 was 0.21%, CBB said.

Truck and SUV segment prices softened 0.02%, compared to a 0.03% drop the week before, while car segments were off 0.41%, versus a 0.61% decline the week ending March 7, the CBB data shows.

Midsize luxury crossover/SUV prices (up 0.87%) and minivans (up 0.70%) showed the most significant growth among the four truck/SUV segments increasing in price, while compact vans (down 0.91%) has the most sizable decrease among the truck/SUV segments.

Aside from the premium sport car segment (up 0.04%), all car segments decreased in price last week, according to CBB data. The largest decrease was for luxury cars (down 0.98%).

“The Canadian market’s downward trend continues, with a softer decline compared to last week,” CBB said in the analysis, noting that half of the segments had price changes of at least $100.

Meanwhile, the average sales rate was 44.8%, as observations from the lanes included rates  as low as 32.6% and as high as 67.8%, CBB said.

“Sales rates across auction lanes continue to fluctuate, driven by political factors and sellers supporting firm floor prices,” the company said in the analysis. “Auction inventory has returned to normal levels, experiencing a small uptick, however upstream channels continue to hold priority sale access to inventory. Buyer demand for high-quality vehicles at auctions on both sides of the border persists.”