Best Selling Cars – Matt's blog

Daihatsu Move

* See the Top 25 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

Sales of new Kei cars are up 1% year-on-year in Japan to 152,000 registrations, bringing the year-to-date total to 738,153 units, down 1% on 2012. And this month we get the third different #1 model in as many months, with the Daihatsu Move stepping up to pole position for the first time in over 2 years (since February 2011 exactly) thanks to 18,601 sales, up 54% year-on-year. It still however ranks #2 year-to-date at 79,394 units vs. 85,983 for the Honda N-Box, #2 again this month with 16,382 sales, down 3%.

Nissan Dayz Rider

The Suzuki Wagon R, back to #1 last month, is down to #3 at 13,787 units, the Suzuki Alto is up 2 spots to #5 with 10,870 sales while the Honda N-One, even though it is down one rank to #6, impresses again at 9,618 units sold. Launched last month, the Suzuki Spacia is up one rank to #8 with 8,112 sales while the Nissan Dayz makes its very first appearance in the ranking at #34 with 10 sales.

Previous month: Japan Kei cars March 2013: Suzuki Spacia lands in 9th place

One year ago: Japan Kei cars April 2012: Honda N-Box takes the lead!

Full April 2013 Top 25 Ranking Table below.

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Toyota Prius

* See the Top 30 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

The Japanese new car market (ex-Kei cars) is back into positive territory in April, up 2% year-on-year to 213,165 registrations however this is solely due to the exceptional strength of imports, up 35% this month. Year-to-date, the total stands at 1,155,020 units, down 11% on 2012. Big event atop the Japanese models ranking: after 6 consecutive months of Toyota Aqua domination, the Toyota Prius is back in charge thanks to 18,417 sales vs. 17,182 for the Aqua which however remains #1 year-to-date by far (for now) at 97,867 units vs. 92,140 for the Prius.

Toyota Crown

The Nissan Note continues to amaze: it is stuck in third place for the 8th month in a row with 9,415 sales, ahead of the Honda Fit down a worrying 43% on April 2012. The Toyota Crown is at its best in years, up 2 spots on March to a fantastic 5th place at 8,181 units, the Subaru Impreza is back in the Top 10 at #10 while the Subaru Forester is back up 7 spots to #13 and the Mazda Atenza (aka Mazda6) is back within the Top 30 at #28.

Previous month: Japan March 2013: Toyota Aqua and Nissan Note hit highest volume

One year ago: Japan April 2012: Toyota Aqua, Vellfire, Alphard and 86 all impress

Full April 2013 Top 30 Ranking Table below.

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VW Beetle

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

Sales of imported models in Japan are up a very healthy 7% year-on-year over the first Quarter of 2013 to 85,596 registrations, 21.9% of which are Japanese models produced abroad and reimported into the country. There is a lot of movement over the period in the models ranking, however the Top 3 models are back to normal – hear identical to the FY2012 ranking – after a crazy Q4 2012: the VW Golf leads the way with 4,868 sales albeit down a painful 36% year-on-year, followed by the Mini at 4,037 units (-7%) and the Mercedes C-Class with 3,858 sales (-22%).

Mercedes A-Class

Below, the wilderness starts: the VW Up! maintains itself at a brilliant 4th spot thanks to 3,691 units sold, the VW Beetle is up 4 ranks vs. Q3 2012 and 10 vs. FY 2012 to land in 7th place with 3,250 sales, the Mercedes A-Class is up from outside the Top 20 to #9 at 1,798 units, the Volvo V40 makes its very first appearance directly at #12 with 1,496 sales and the Audi Q3 does the same at #20 and 899 units. Pfew!

Previous post: Japan Imports Full Year 2012: VW Golf #1, Mini at record heights

Previous Quarter: Japan Imports Q4 2012: Mercedes C-Class #1, VW Up! lands at #4

Full Q1 2013 Top 20 Ranking Table below.

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Suzuki Spacia

* See the Top 25 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

The Kei car ranking is for once relatively eventful this month in Japan. For the first time since last September and only the third time in the last 19 months the Suzuki Wagon R, which led the Kei car market for 9 consecutive years between 2003 and 2011, is back in pole position thanks to 28,919 sales, up 6% year-on-year. The Honda N-Box is kicked down to 2nd place at 26,696 units (+39%) followed by the Daihatsu Move with 25,412 sales (+31%) and the Daihatsu Mira at 19,819 units (-33%). The Honda N-One is up one spot to #5, a rank it has held 3 times in the last 5 months, with a record 16,133 sales. Finally this month the all-new Suzuki Spacia replaces the Palette at #9 with 7,245 units.

Previous month: Japan Kei cars February 2013: Honda N-Box and Daihatsu Move up

One year ago: Japan Kei cars March 2012: Daihatsu Mira just under 30,000 sales

Full March 2013 Top 25 Ranking Table below.

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Toyota Aqua

* See the Top 30 best-selling models by clicking on the title! *

Seventh consecutive month of year-on-year decline for new car sales in Japan, down 16% to 420,069 registrations. The top of the models ranking is extremely stable this month: the Toyota Aqua continues to amaze the world: lodges its 6th month in a row in pole position and breaks the 30,000 monthly unit barrier for the first time ever at a record 33,693 sales, up 16% on March 2012 which was its previous best. The Aqua’s advantage over the #2 (the faithful Toyota Prius) has grown back up slightly to 1,166 units vs. 1,063 last month.

Nissan Note

In third position for the 7th consecutive month, the Nissan Note passes the 20,000 monthly unit milestone for the very first time, delivering a record 21,336 units, double its March 2012 score and beating its previous best of 18,355 sales from last September. The Honda Fit is down a painful 40% at #4 with 20,327 units, followed by the Nissan Serena at 12,905 (-4%). The Toyota Crown is in great shape again, up 145% year-on-year to #6 while the Mazda CX-5 is back from outside the Top 30 to #14. There are 3 Subarus in the Top 30 potentially for the first time ever in Japan: the Impreza at #11 (+3), Forester at #20 (+6) and Legacy at #30.

Previous month: Japan February 2013: Mazda Atenza and Mitsubishi Outlander up

One year ago: Japan March 2012: Toyota Prius, Aqua and Honda Fit all beat records

Full March 2013 Top 30 Ranking Table below.

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Honda N-BOX

* NOW UPDATED with the Top 25 models and All-brands!  Click on title to see – thanks Stephen *

Sales of Kei cars are down by just 1% year-on-year in February to 184,927 registrations, which is very impressive given we are comparing it with a very high base one year ago. Year-to-date, the market is stable at 339,095 units. The Honda N-Box leads the way for the 5th consecutive month and the 10th time in the last 11 months thanks to 22,353 sales, up 46% year-on-year. But the #2 is catching up: boosted by its new generation, the Daihatsu Move is up 39% on February 2012 to 20,206 units while the Suzuki Wagon R rounds up the podium like last month and last year with 17,033 sales. The Daihatsu Mira is back up 2 spots to #4 but still down 37% year-on-year whereas the Honda N-One continues to progress at a record 10,981 units but down one rank to #6.

Previous month: Japan Kei cars January 2013: Daihatsu Move and Honda N-One up

One year ago: Japan Kei cars February 2012: Honda NBOX now on podium

Full February 2013 Top 25 models and Top 8 All-brands Ranking Tables below.

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Mazda Atenza

* See the Top 30 best-selling models and Top 30 brands by clicking on the title! *

Sales of ‘normal’ vehicles (not Kei cars) in Japan are down 12% year-on-year in February to 292,339 registrations (including imports, for once) which brings the year-to-date total to 521,732 units, also down 12% on 2012. This is the 6th consecutive month of year-on-year decline for the Japanese market, which coincides with the end of government subsidies. The Toyota Aqua enjoys its 5th month in a row in pole position with 24,526 sales, however its advantage over the Toyota Prius has thawed from 4,733 units in January to 1,063 this month… The Nissan Note brilliantly closes the podium once again – for the 6th consecutive time in fact, reaching 16,407 sales which is its third largest monthly volume ever below the 18,355 units from last September and 17,946 sales in March 2005…

Mitsubishi Outlander

The Toyota Crown continues to progress, up a further 2 spots on January to #6 with 9,668 units, up a massive 199% year-on-year. This is the Crown nameplate’s best ranking in Japan since April 2008 (#5). Both Subaru superstars progressively return to earth: the Impreza is down 3 ranks to #14 and the Forester down 11 to #26. The big event this month in Japan is the Mazda Atenza (aka 6) up from outside the Top 30 in January to a record #17 spot with 3,785 sales. I believe this is the Atenza nameplate’s highest ever ranking in Japan but I need to confirm this 100%. Another newcomer in this month’s Top 30 is the Mitsubishi Outlander, boosted by the arrival of the PHEV model and up 581% year-on-year to #29 at 2,487 units.

Previous month: Japan January 2013: Toyota Crown up to #8, a 4-year high

One year ago: Japan February 2012: Toyota Aqua most successful launch in a decade

Full February 2013 Top 30 models and brands Ranking Tables below.

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Nissan Note

* See the Top 100 best-selling models by clicking on the title! Many thanks to Austin *

As is now the tradition, after exploring the Passenger car Top 30 and the Kei car Top 25 in Japan, we have a more thorough look at overall January sales split by version (sedan, MPV…) and with Light Commercial Vehicles added. Note these are not February figures yes, they will come in just a few days. The Toyota Aqua celebrates 12 months in pole position of the ranking by version, with simply no interruption since last February! thanks to 22,466 sales. The Honda NBOX holds the 2nd spot for the 9th time in the last 10 months at 20,552 units, while the Nissan Note is up to a beautiful third spot overall thanks to 14,529 sales. Notice also the Honda N-One up to #8 at 10,192 units, the Toyota Prius down two to #9, Suzuki Palette up 10 to #18 and Toyota Crown up 30 to #19.

Previous month: Japan by version December 2012: Nissan Sylphy and Subaru BRZ up

Full January 2013 Top 100 Ranking Table below.

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Daihatsu Move

* See the Top 25 best-selling models and Top 8 All-brands by clicking on the title! *

Sales of Kei cars are surprisingly up 1% year-on-year in January, even compared with a very high base one year ago. The Honda N-BOX tops the ranking for the 9th time in the last 10 months with 20,552 sales, but this time it is followed by the Daihatsu Move, up 3 spots on December and 22% year-on-year to #2 at 15,175 units. The Suzuki Wagon R rounds up the podium like last month with 14,020 sales, ahead of the Daihatsu Tanto at 10,967 units.

Honda N-One

The Honda N-One passes the 10,000 monthly sales milestone for the first time at only its third full month in market at #5 and 10,192 units, managing the impressive feat of ranking above 2012 leader the Daihatsu Mira, down a worrying 49% year-on-year to #6 with 10,045 sales. Notice also the Mazda Flair up 4 ranks to a best-ever #14 at 1,860 units and the Mazda Flair Wagon up 2 to #22 with 679 sales.

Previous post: Japan Kei cars Full Year 2012: Daihatsu Mira ends 9 years of Suzuki Wagon R reign

Previous month: Japan Kei cars December 2012: Honda NBOX leads for the 8th time

One year ago: Japan Kei cars January 2012: Honda NBOX up to 5th place

Full January 2013 Top 25 models and Top 8 brands Ranking Tables below.

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Citroen DS3 (#243) and C3 (#203)

* See the Top 375 All-models ranking by clicking on the title! *

Thanks to a secret admirer of BSCB I can share with you for the very first time in the 2.5 years history of this site an exclusive All-models ranking for Japan including Kei cars! That’s 375 models… Note some version sales are now available like the Daihatsu Mira E:S (#6) and Toyota Prius Alpha (#8). As a result the Toyota Aqua brilliantly takes the lead as early as for its first year in market with 266,567 sales followed by the Honda N-Box at 211,155 and the Honda Fit at 209,276, with the Suzuki Wagon R at #4 with 195,701 units and the Toyota Prius at #5 and 187,456.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta (#146)

But let’s explore the ranking further down as this is the first time we have access to so much detail for Japan. Confirming Japan’s status as the most ‘chauvinistic’ car market in the world, there is absolutely no foreign model until the 57th position occupied by the VW Golf with 18,779 sales. In fact in addition to the Golf there are only 5 imports in the Top 100: the Mercedes C-Class at #65, VW Polo at #70, BMW 3 Series at #83, Mini at #89 and Mercedes E-Class at #97.

Renault Lutecia (#274)

The best-selling Italian model in Japan in 2012 is the Fiat 500 at #128 with 4,506 sales, followed by the Alfa Romeo Giulietta at #146 and the Alfa Romeo MiTo at #216. In the French camp, the Peugeot 308 dominates but ranks only 175th at 1,762 units, ahead of the Renault Kangoo at #179 and Peugeot 207 at #200 while the Citroen C3 ranks #203, the Citroen DS4 #230, Citroen DS3 #243 and Renault Lutecia (aka Clio) #274.

Will the new generation Hyundai i30 reverse the fortune of Korean models in Japan?

Notice also the Toyota Corolla split in different versions, resulting in the Corolla Axio ranking #40, Corolla Fielder (station wagon) #31 and Corolla Rumion at #106 while the Toyota Auris ranks 86th with 10,117 sales. The Jeep Wrangler is the most popular US model in the country this year at #183 and 1,601 units and the Range Rover Evoque leads the English charge at #209 with 993 sales. Finally, only 49 Korean models found a buyer in Japan this year – 44 Hyundais, 3 SsangYongs and 2 Kias – with the Hyundai i30 leading the way at a paltry #350 with 5 sales…

Original Full Year 2012 post: Japan Full Year 2012: All-new Toyota Aqua tickles Prius

Kei car Full Year 2012 post: Daihatsu Mira puts an end to 9 years of Suzuki Wagon R reign

Imports Full Year 2012 post: Japan Imports Full Year 2012: VW Golf #1, Mini at record heights

Previous year: Japan Full Year 2011: Toyota Prius leads in difficult year

Full Year 2012 Top 375 All-models Ranking Table below.

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