For the first time in 13, yes 13 months, Japanese new car sales registered a small uptick. Small (sukoshi) it is, 1.7 percent, compared to September 2010. And that only, because September 2010 was bloodbath.
When we sang our Sayonara to growth a year ago, we didn’t expect it would be THAT bad: For the 9 months of this year, Japanese car sales are down by a whopping 25.9 percent. Following data provided by the Japan Automotive Dealer Association. The numbers do not include minivehicles. (Careful when applying the data to minivehicle-heavy makers such as Daihatsu or Suzuki…)
Japan, Sales regular vehicles, September 2011
| Manufacturer | Sept ’11 | Sept ’10 | Change | FYTD’11 | FYTD’10 | Change |
| Daihatsu | 333 | 855 | -61.1% | 2,137 | 5,075 | -57.9% |
| Hino | 4,514 | 2,979 | 51.5% | 24,930 | 22,449 | 11.1% |
| Honda | 43,422 | 42,723 | 1.6% | 278,455 | 394,953 | -29.5% |
| Isuzu | 4,583 | 5,309 | -13.7% | 30,680 | 34,724 | -11.6% |
| Lexus | 5,770 | 3,608 | 59.9% | 32,020 | 27,746 | 15.4% |
| Mazda | 17,409 | 16,060 | 8.4% | 112,900 | 153,708 | -26.5% |
| Mitsubishi | 6,479 | 7,491 | -13.5% | 42,892 | 59,359 | -27.7% |
| Mitsubishi Fuso | 3,109 | 2,759 | 12.7% | 18,358 | 18,727 | -2.0% |
| Nissan | 53,427 | 57,879 | -7.7% | 338,710 | 417,521 | -18.9% |
| Subaru | 9,074 | 10,374 | -12.5% | 56,333 | 66,424 | -15.2% |
| Suzuki | 7,369 | 5,437 | 35.5% | 58,902 | 46,085 | 27.8% |
| Toyota | 131,072 | 130,135 | 0.7% | 813,592 | 1,255,509 | -35.2% |
| UD Trucks | 1,024 | 627 | 63.3% | 5,783 | 6,490 | -10.9% |
| Other | 26,205 | 22,427 | 16.8% | 151,259 | 144,776 | 4.5% |
| Total | 313,790 | 308,663 | 1.7% | 1,966,951 | 2,653,546 | -25.9% |
(FYTD: Fiscal Year To Date: Cumulative sales since April)
The Japan Mini Vehicles Association does not have good news: September sales were down 9.1 percent in September, and down 19.9 percent for January – September 2011.
Japan, Sales mini vehicles, September 2011
| Manufacturer | Sept ’11 | Sept ’10 | Change | YTD’11 | YTD’10 | Change |
| Suzuki | 46,085 | 48,684 | -5.3% | 353,731 | 445,238 | -20.6% |
| Daihatsu | 52,092 | 60,579 | -14.0% | 393,318 | 483,730 | -18.7% |
| Mitsubishi | 9,843 | 11,012 | -10.6% | 72,966 | 86,592 | -15.7% |
| Subaru | 8,450 | 9,799 | -13.8% | 60,475 | 79,899 | -24.3% |
| Honda | 12,091 | 14,273 | -15.3% | 96,030 | 131,226 | -26.8% |
| Mazda | 4,950 | 4,535 | 9.2% | 34,784 | 42,051 | -17.3% |
| Nissan | 14,674 | 14,404 | 1.9% | 105,837 | 117,998 | -10.3% |
| Toyota | 216 | 0 | 216 | |||
| Other | 1 | 6 | -83.3% | 29 | 77 | -62.3% |
| Total | 148,402 | 163,292 | -9.1% | 1,117,386 | 1,386,811 | -19.4% |
(YTD: Year To Date: Cumulative sales since January)
Is production up to pre-tsunami levels yet? Are Japanese people still not interested in driving? I DEMAND ANSWERS.
Production is mostly at pre-tsunami levels. Japanese still not interested in driving. Full year expected to be negative.
Thanks. :-)
Wow. Impressive growth by Lexus. I wonder why Nissan is down though. Is it because Nissan had stellar sales following the tsunami when everyone else was down or could it be, the japanese are punishing them for threatening to move production out and or source more parts from outside japan? oh total sales including mini vehicles are still down though, by 2.1%
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TOTAL 313,790 (+ 1.7)
Cars 280,379 (+ 0.8)
Trucks 32,565 (+10.1)
Toyota Motor 136,842 (+ 2.3)
– Toyota brand 131,072 (+ 0.7)
– Lexus* 5,770 (+59.9)
Nissan Motor 53,427 (- 7.7)
Honda Motor 43,422 (+ 1.6)
Mazda Motor 17,409 (+ 8.4)
Mitsubishi Motors 6,479 (-13.5)
Suzuki Motor 7,369 (+35.5)
Fuji Heavy 9,074 (-12.5)
Imports 33,980 (+13.3)
*Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota Motor. Sales in Japan
Good going, Bertel. Midori no Hibi was surprisingly delightful, given the premise. Oh, wait, where were we… Lexus, right. Well, nobody cares about Lexus :-)
Premise: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midori_Days#Plot