Japan's May Sellers: Hybrids And Midgetmobiles

by Bertel Schmitt

June 7th, 2012 6:39 AM

japan s may sellers hybrids and midgetmobiles

Hybrids and minivehicles continue to top Japan’s list of best-selling cars in May. With 20,789 units sold, Toyota’s Prius is leading the list now for the 12th month in a row. Hot on its heels is Toyota’s Aqua, better known in the U.S. as Prius C. Only supply constraints at Toyota can keep the compact and affordable hybrid from taking the top spot.

Rank 4 and 5 are occupied by minivehicles . Honda’s Fit is ranked fifth. Six out of the top ten best-selling cars in Japan are minivehicles.

RankModelBrandUnitsYoYType1PriusToyota20,789220.3%REG2AquaToyota20,091N/AREG3NBOXHonda19,35414.3%KEI4MiraDaihatsu17,47612.4%KEI5FitHonda14,53455.4%REG6TantoDaihatsu13,5710.6%KEI7Wagon RSuzuki12,6743.6%KEI8MoveDaihatsu12,6204.4%KEI9AltoSuzuki10,3341.7%KEI10FreedHonda8,14276.8%REG11VitzToyota7,789-1.0%REG12SerenaNissan7,01221.6%REG13Step WagonHonda5,74584.9%REG14PaletteSuzuki5,5401.1%KEI15MR WagonSuzuki5,44536.2%KEI16DemioMazda5,17583.7%REG17VELLFIREToyota5,118317.1%REG18RookNissan4,99110.1%KEI19NoteNissan4,32248.8%REG20AlphardToyota4,286433.1%REG21SwiftSuzuki4,01084.8%REG22CorollaToyota4,00821.2%REG23MocoNissan3,956-36.4%KEI24PassoToyota3,79149.0%REG25SolioSuzuki3,45629.1%REG26VoxyToyota3,40549.5%REG27LifeHonda3,253-17.8%KEI28WishToyota3,23159.0%REG29CX-5Mazda2,890N/AREG30RactisToyota2,873-23.1%REG31JukeNissan2,68851.0%REG32SientaToyota2,612N/AREG33PyxisToyota2,564225.8%KEI3486Toyota2,432N/AREG35TidusNissan2,42237.1%REG36NoahToyota2,41731.4%REG37CubeNissan2,319-11.2%REG38EstimaToyota2,26748.6%REG39LegacySubaru2,20758.9%REG40CrownToyota2,06341.3%REG41X-TRAILNissan1,90418.9%REG42MarchNissan1,898-42.0%REG43eKMitsubishi1,8930.2%KEI44AZ-WagonMazda1,77733.2%KEI45StellaSubaru1,74875.0%KEI

The table was compiled from data provided by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association. Separately reported imports are not included in this list. Not that they would make it anyway.

Comments

Join the conversation

2 of 4 comments

-Cole- on Jun 07, 2012

Had never heard of the VELLFIRE.

Like Reply
Icemilkcoffee on Jun 07, 2012

Suzuki is slipping. Suzuki used to rule the roost in the K car segment. Now it's getting beaten by Daihatsu!

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Art Vandelay Dodge should bring this back. They could sell it as the classic classic classic model
Surferjoe Still have a 2013 RDX, naturally aspirated V6, just can't get behind a 4 banger turbo.Also gloriously absent, ESS, lane departure warnings, etc.
ToolGuy Is it a genuine Top Hand? Oh, I forgot, I don't care. 🙂
ToolGuy I did truck things with my truck this past week, twenty-odd miles from home (farther than usual). Recall that the interior bed space of my (modified) truck is 98" x 74". On the ride home yesterday the bed carried a 20 foot extension ladder (10 feet long, flagged 14 inches past the rear bumper), two other ladders, a smallish air compressor, a largish shop vac, three large bins, some materials, some scrap, and a slew of tool cases/bags. It was pretty full, is what I'm saying.The range of the Cybertruck would have been just fine. Nothing I carried had any substantial weight to it, in truck terms. The frunk would have been extremely useful (lock the tool cases there, out of the way of the Bed Stuff, away from prying eyes and grasping fingers -- you say I can charge my cordless tools there? bonus). Stainless steel plus no paint is a plus.Apparently the Cybertruck bed will be 78" long (but over 96" with the tailgate folded down) and 60-65" wide. And then Tesla promises "100 cubic feet of exterior, lockable storage — including the under-bed, frunk and sail pillars." Underbed storage requires the bed to be clear of other stuff, but bottom line everything would have fit, especially when we consider the second row of seats (tools and some materials out of the weather).Some days I was hauling mostly air on one leg of the trip. There were several store runs involved, some for 8-foot stock. One day I bummed a ride in a Roush Mustang. Three separate times other drivers tried to run into my truck (stainless steel panels, yes please). The fuel savings would be large enough for me to notice and to care.TL;DR: This truck would work for me, as a truck. Sample size = 1.
Ed That has to be a joke.