Japan Kei cars May 2012: Honda NBOX confirms new leadership

Honda NBOX

* See the Top 20 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

Kei car sales in Japan are up 67% year-on-year in May to 157,584 registrations, partly due to a low May 2011 base and bringing the year-to-date total to 902,236 units, up 51% on 2011. Honda is the manufacturer with the biggest increase at +246% year-on-year and this is due to the astonishing success of the Honda NBOX: for the second month in a row it leads the Kei car ranking with a record 19,354 sales! It is now #3 year-to-date with 80,751 sales, just 703 units below the Suzuki Wagon R, #1 in the Full Year since 2003.

The Daihatsu Mira stays #2 and continues to lodge amazing year-on-year increases at +266% to 17,476 units. It leads year-to-date with 104,557 sales, up 262% on 2011. In fact the entire Top 6 in unchanged vs. last month with the Daihatsu Tanto ranking #3 with 13,571 units (+46%), followed by the Suzuki Wagon R at 12,674 sales (+13%), the Daihatsu Move with 12,620 sales (+34%) and the Suzuki Alto at 10,334 units (+99%).

Previous month: Japan Kei cars April 2012: Honda NBOX takes the lead

One year ago: Japan Kei cars May 2011: Suzuki Wagon R and Daihatsu Move lead

Full May 2012 Top 20 Ranking Table below.