Japan Imports June 2013: Mini and BMW 3 Series on top

Mini Countryman

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

While the rest of the Japanese car market is down significantly compared to 2012, paradoxically imports are going very well thanks, even though they are getting more expensive by the minute as the yen goes down. But that is also part of the explanation: Japanese consumers seem to anticipate a further drop of the yen and a further increase of the price of imported cars, therefore are rushing to dealerships now in order to limit their expense. Imports are up 14% year-on-year in June to 34,631 units, up 22% over Q2 to 81,195 and up 14% year-to-date at 170,728.

BMW 3 Series

Rare event atop the imported models ranking: for only the 2nd time in the last 6 years with Q4 2012, the VW Golf isn’t #1, and actually not even #2: the Mini takes the lead with 4,261 sales, up 9% year-on-year. It is followed by the BMW 3 Series at 4,102 units, up a huge 72% thanks to the new model and up an even better 93% year-to-date to now rank #3. The Golf is down 34% to #3 at 3,527 units, just above the Up! at 3,207. Year-to-date, the Golf is still #1 however, but just: at 8,395 sales (-35%), it is only 97 units above the Mini (+9%) and their year-on-year respective progressions indicate the Mini could end up taking the lead this year, which would be a first since imports figures started getting published in 2003! Note however that Mini figures are not split and include Countryman and Paceman sales.

Mercedes E-Class

Lots of change further down the ranking: the Mercedes A-Class continues to progress, up a further 2 ranks on Q1 to #7 with 2,745 sales over the period, the VW Beetle is down one rank to #8 but up 117% year-on-year, the Mercedes E-Class is up 5 to #9, the Volvo V40 breaks into the Top 10 for the first time at #10, the Fiat 500 reappears inside the Top 20 at #15 as does the BMW X3 at #20.

Previous post: Japan Imports March 2013: VW Beetle and Mercedes A-Class up

One year ago: Japan Imports June 2012: BMW 1 Series and VW Beetle shine

Full Q2 2013 Top 20 Ranking Table below.