RICHMOND HILL, Ontario -

Strong support from dealers. Positive reaction from consumers. A robust Canadian used-car market.

These were but a few of the many reasons cited by leaders at several automakers in Canada for healthy certified pre-owned sales in June and throughout the first half of 2011.

And to shed a bit of light on how they achieved these gains, CPO managers throughout the Canadian market recently offered their perspective to Auto Remarketing Canada on how their respective brands fared.

Starting with BMW Group Canada, the BMW side of the company has moved 6,482 CPO vehicles through the first six months of the year, up 6.9 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, the Mini brand’s certified sales have reached 1,159, up 69.9 percent.

For June, Mini increased its certified sales 7.5 percent to 172 units. BMW’s CPO sales dipped 4.8 percent to 1,221 vehicles. However, the decline was “only because we had an all-time record last June,” said BMW Group Canada’s national manager of pre-owned Bruce Caton.

“It was an excellent, excellent month,” he said of June, emphasizing the “incredible” appeal and value that the company offers.

In fact, Caton shared with Auto Remarketing Canada value cards that market six points of what BMW and Mini certified programs offer. The points boil down to vehicle selection and respective CarProof reports, the inspection and reconditioning measures, the protection plans, 24-roadside assistance and the special rates/leasing/financing offers.

Continuing along, Audi moved 371 CPO vehicles in Canada, for a 10.1-percent year-over-year gain. It moved 2,004 certified in the first half of the year, which is ahead of the year-ago pace by more than 26 percent.

“While the month’s performance was not quite at the same level as our 26.4-percent year-to-date increase over last year, we have realized continued record months and our best first-half ever,” said Jonathan Breton, manager of certified pre-owned and corporate sales for Audi Canada.

“A couple of the contributors to this success as compared to last year include a more extensive yet targeted online communications approach and a greater focus on the customer experience for CPO buyers,” he added. “Certainly, a strong used-vehicle market has also been an advantage.”

Next up, while Mercedes-Benz Canada didn’t break down its sales by CPO-specific numbers, it had its strongest month on record for pre-owned sales, in general, moving 1,340 vehicles. This is up from 1,099 sold in June 2010. Year-to-date pre-owned sales stood at 6,124, up from 5,018 units from the prior-year period.

A company spokesperson said CPO sales are about 80 percent of overall pre-owned at Mercedes-Benz Canada.

"We are delighted with our June record-breaking results. We have been working very closely with our dealers over the course of the last two years to develop a sound and robust CPO infrastructure across Canada and we are now reaping the fruits of those efforts,” stated Neal Bodack, vice president of pre-owned, fleet and remarketing at Mercedes-Benz Canada.

“The first six months of 2011 have shown tremendous momentum, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that this growth persists,” Bodack continued.

Over at Volvo — which launched its new CPO program in April — dealers moved 135 certified vehicles in June. Volvo has sequentially increased certified sales each month since the April launch, with CPO totals hitting 116 units in May after reaching 112 in April.

Before that, Volvo sold 39 certified units in January, 55 in February and 59 in March.

Additionally, the share of Volvo’s used sales commanded by CPO has climbed each month since the new program’s rollout, as well.

“We are pleased by the positive response we have received from customers regarding the program but are not surprised. I think that Volvo buyers have been pleasantly surprised at how much value the program offers,” said Emanuel Lichtinshtein, the company’s national fleet sales, CPO & remarketing manager

“Our goal with the new CPO program has been to provide a comprehensive offer for customers and increase closing ratios for dealers, which we have already seen evidence of since launch. If we cannot get a customer into a new model for some reason, a quality certified vehicle is the second best choice for them. In recent months we have increased our marketing efforts and have experienced increased showroom traffic across the country as a result,” Lichtinshtein added.

Next up, Kia Canada moved 177 certified cars in June, bringing its year-to-date sum to 3,976 CPO sales.

“The success of Kia’s CPO program is the result of its practicality and dealer support,” said Jack Uczciwek, national sales manager at Kia Canada. “We are poised for continued growth as more and more Canadians aspire to drive our products, both new and pre-owned.”

Continuing along, Subaru Canada sold 37 certified vehicles in June, up from 33 CPO sales a year ago. Year-to-date CPO sales for the company have reached 152 vehicles, relatively steady from the 158 units sold in the first half of 2010.

Volkswagen Canada’s CPO sales came in at 1,087 units for June, down from 1,183 in June 2010. Through the first half of the year, its certified sales reached 5,555 vehicles, compared to 5,443 sales in the first two quarters of 2010.

“Volkswagen Canada is extremely pleased with our June and YTD CPO sales totals. They are a reflection of how well received this program is at the consumer level. Although our June CPO sales were slightly below those of June 2010, our YTD numbers are up,” said Thomas Tetzlaff, manager of public relations for Volkswagen Canada.

“CPO sales are very much based upon supply and demand, and we are doing all we can to ensure that our dealers have a good supply of these high-quality, factory-backed vehicles,” he added. “With the introduction of the new Jetta last fall, we have brought the entry price of new Volkswagens down significantly, giving consumers a new choice in the value-conscious segment.

“Our highly-rated CPO program enhances our consumers’ choice by giving them the opportunity to purchase our full lineup of cars with confidence, knowing that they are reconditioned to the highest standard, and backed by the factory with a comprehensive warranty,” Tetzlaff concluded.