Toronto, Ontario – The Honda Civic set an all-time sales record of 72,463 units in Canada in 2008, becoming the first passenger car in 15 years to be named the top-selling vehicle overall, including all cars and trucks.

The Civic also remained Canada’s top-selling passenger car for an 11th consecutive year, outselling its nearest competitor by 14,727 units.

“We thank Canadian consumers for their continuing vote of confidence in the Civic, with its strong value resulting from its excellent fuel efficiency, class-leading standard safety features, and fun-to-drive character,” said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice-president of Honda Canada. Inc. “And with the exception of the Civic Hybrid, all other Civic models sold in Canada are produced right here in Canada. We are proud of our investment in Canada as a vehicle manufacturer, with virtually half of all the vehicles we sell in Canada being built in Canada.”

Honda’s manufacturing facility in Alliston, Ontario opened in 1986 and currently employs 4,600 workers. Chenkin said that of the 383,011 vehicles built at the plant in 2008, almost 300,000 were Civics, and of nearly five million vehicles produced in Alliston over the past 22 years, about three million were Civics. The plant builds the Civic and Civic Si sedan and coupe, Acura CSX, and Acura MDX, along with four-cylinder engines at a new engine plant adjacent to the facility.