Japan Imports Full Year 2011: VW Golf #1, now in overall Top 30!
VW Golf
* See the Top 20 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *
Imports sales in Japan are compiled by a different organisation, the Japan Automobile Importers Association, and 2011 figures are out! Japanese consumers bought 205,857 foreign models in 2011, up 13% on 2010 and bringing the imports market share up to 7.1% from 5.3% in 2010.
As it has been the case for the last 10 years, the VW Golf leads the imports models ranking in Japan but this year it passes a huge milestone: with sales stable at 26,125 units, it goes up from #31 to #24 in the overall Japanese models ranking! It is the first time since JAIA started publishing import models data in 2003 that a foreign car breaks into the overall Top 30!
Mini
Japan is a tough nut to crack when it comes to importing foreign models, and one thing is for sure: the Germans have cracked it! 8 of the Top 10 models are from Germany. The VW Polo stays 2nd with 15,171 sales up 5%, ahead of the Mini up 28% at 14,530 units. Then an oddity: the Toyota Lite Ace, one of the few Japanese models produced overseas an reimported in the country.
BMW 5 Series
The Mercedes C-Class is up 2 spots and 27% to #5 and 11,710 sales, but the BMW 5 Series does even better: +53% to 9,257 sales and #6, its highest ever position in Japan. There are 2 newcomers in the Top 10: the Volvo V60 lands directly to #9 with 6,032 units for its first year, ahead of the BMW X1 up 53% and 3 spots to #10 with 5,874 sales.
Volvo V60
Notice also the Audi A1 shooting straight to #14 with 4,206 units for its first year, an instant match with Japanese consumers’ posh tastes, and the VW Passat (#16) and Sharan (#19) breaking into the Top 20 for the first time.
Previous year: Japan Imports Full Year 2010: VW Golf, Polo and Mini shine
Full Year 2011 and every year since 2003 Top 20 Ranking Tables below.
You can see the Japan Imports Top 20 for each year since 2003 here: Top 20 Import models in Japan since 2003
VW Polo
BMW X1
Audi A1
VW Passat
Japan Imports Full Year 2011:
| Pos | Model | 2011 | /10 | % | 2010 | % | Pos |
| 1 | VW Golf | 26,125 | 0% | 12.7% | 26,075 | 14.3% | 1 |
| 2 | VW Polo | 15,171 | 5% | 7.4% | 14,507 | 8.0% | 2 |
| 3 | Mini | 14,530 | 28% | 7.1% | 11,338 | 6.2% | 4 |
| 4 | Toyota Town/Lite Ace | 12,437 | 30% | 6.0% | 9,533 | 5.2% | 6 |
| 5 | Mercedes C-Class | 11,710 | 27% | 5.7% | 9,206 | 5.1% | 7 |
| 6 | BMW 5 Series | 9,257 | 53% | 4.5% | 6,049 | 3.3% | 8 |
| 7 | BMW 3 Series | 8,912 | -24% | 4.3% | 11,664 | 6.4% | 3 |
| 8 | Mercedes E-Class | 8,411 | -22% | 4.1% | 10,850 | 6.0% | 5 |
| 9 | Volvo V60 | 6,032 | new | 2.9% | 0 | 0.0% | - |
| 10 | BMW X1 | 5,874 | 53% | 2.9% | 3,829 | 2.1% | 13 |
| 11 | BMW 1 Series | 5,279 | -10% | 2.6% | 5,856 | 3.2% | 9 |
| 12 | Audi A4 | 5,220 | -8% | 2.5% | 5,660 | 3.1% | 10 |
| 13 | Fiat 500 | 4,501 | 5% | 2.2% | 4,280 | 2.4% | 12 |
| 14 | Audi A1 | 4,206 | new | 2.0% | 0 | 0.0% | - |
| 15 | Audi A3 | 3,739 | -17% | 1.8% | 4,506 | 2.5% | 11 |
| 16 | VW Passat | 3,513 | n/a | 1.7% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 17 | Volvo V50 | 3,336 | 19% | 1.6% | 2,808 | 1.5% | 16 |
| 18 | Mercedes B-Class | 3,062 | -16% | 1.5% | 3,665 | 2.0% | 14 |
| 19 | VW Sharan | 2,728 | n/a | 1.3% | n/a | n/a | 19 |
| 20 | Peugeot 207 | 2,354 | -23% | 1.1% | 3,076 | 1.7% | 15 |
Really Awesome Japanese import vehicle run all long year.
“Then an oddity: the Toyota Lite Ace, one of the few Japanese models produced overseas an reimported in the country.”
The Nissan March is also imported from Thailand: http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2010/07/thai-made-2011-nissan-march-goes-on.html
Like in most countries VW is doing great, although the market share of the two most popular models dropped slightly. Volvo is doing surprisingly great in Japan.
Thanks Rutger! Oddly the Nissan March’s sales seem to be counted in the general ranking… otherwise it would come #1 import by far I would say…
@Miguel
“You do not know nothing at all about cars” that’s the point, you got it. Because, as you wrote, i know all about cars, so listen to me and learn
@Miguel
that’s rich, coming from you.
@Tengil
No comments to people like you that like to provoque! Please do never answer to my comments anymore! You do not know nothing at all about cars and provoque the others. Keep well.
My last post was of course addressed to my dear friend miguel
). By the way respect for the the germans to dare to step into the japanese lion’s den and survive.
@Tengil
Don’t get ridiculous, stick to the facts and remain calm and polite, what you are known for in this blog
@Tengil
You write like a child Tengil!!! Please!!!!
@Miguel
I can only repeat, what i wrote before, Ford recalls now over half a million cars due to “technical problems”, that says it all. It’s not difficultt check this in the internet. You can find it everywhere in the internet. I encourage you to do it.
It’s interesting that VW Golf is popular in Japan. They must be excellent cars.
I can imagine the increase of foriegn models last year is mainly due to the supply issues with Japanese cars after the disruptions earlier in the year. It wouldn’t be surprising if there is a reverse trend this year.
@Tengil
You´re completely wrong! Where do you live?? Ford is one of world´s most reliable marque. Go to http://www.reliabilityindex.com or http://www.whatcar.co.uk and you´ll see the reliability survey results and realised that Ford come in the first 10 places!!!
@Tengil
Tengil, seems that you do not read the articles and them sources in this blog!!!!! Go to :
Japan Automobile Importers Association and you´ll discover that Ford sold almost 5.000 cars in Japan last year!!!!! Why do you doubt?????? that´s not elegant at all!!
@Miguel
And, as i just read, Ford recalls now over half a million cars due to “technical problems”, that also says it all. Ford seems to be a company, that builds very unreliable cars, I think.
@Miguel
I don’t see Ford in the list above, that says it all.
@Tengil
No, not at all my friend! Ford is not Skoda or seat!!!! It´s omnipresent in Japan since 1952!! Ford sell about 5.000 examples per year there! The models sold there are: Expedition, Mustang, Explorer, Escape, Fusion, Focus, Fiesta, Mondeo, SMAX, CMAX, Ka and Kuga.
@Miguel
… and the same ist true for Ford, as i predicted
As I said: Skoda & Seat pulled out of the Japanese market due to poor value. Lancia sell minor numbers, only 11 in December 2011.