Japan First Half 2025: Market up 10.2%, Daihatsu (+117%) catches up with Move (+459.9%) and Tanto (+135.4%)

Daihatsu Move sales are up 5-fold as production was disrupted last year.

2,345,459 new vehicles hit Japanese roads over the First Half 2025, a solid 10.2% year-on-year improvement on weak year-ago results hampered by production stops. Toyota (+13.8%) outpaces its home market to grow to 30.9% share, with Suzuki (+0.5%) also in positive – just. Honda (-6.5%) is weak at 13.6% share vs. 16.1% over the same period in 2024. Daihatsu (+117%) roars back on poor 2024 scores, unsettling Nissan (-10.3%). Mazda (+18.8%) has an excellent time, as do Isuzu (+21.1%) and Subaru (+14.2%). Mitsubishi (+5.7%) is more restrained but still in positive unlike Lexus (-3.4%). Mercedes (-2.6%) remains the most popular foreign carmaker at #11, followed by BMW (+11.5%), Volkswagen (+30.8%) and Audi (-5.2%).

Looking at the regular car ranking, we have a change of leadership, with the Toyota Yaris/Cross (+6.4%) overtaking the Toyota Corolla/Cross (-12%). The Toyota Sienta (+2.2%) stays in third place while the Honda Freed (+27.8%) is up three spots to #4, the Toyota Raize (+241.9%) up 21 to #5 and the Toyota Roomy (+133.1%) up 13 to #6. The Toyota Aqua (+50.9%), Alphard (+19.7%) and Prius (+12.8%) also beat the market in the remainder of the Top 10. The Honda WR-V (+57%), Subaru Forester (+47.3%), Suzuki Jimny Wagon (+46.8%) and Toyota Land Cruiser W (+39.5%) also impress below. There are two recent launches in the Top 50: the Suzuki Fronx at #36 and the Mazda CX-80 at #44.

On to kei cars, the Honda N-BOX (+2.7%) is the only vehicle in the Japanese market to cross the 100,000 units milestone over the period and is headed towards an 11the straight annual crown. The Suzuki Spacia (-0.1%) holds onto the 2nd spot above the Daihatsu Tanto (+135.4%) and Move (+459.9%) both catching up on lost (production) time. As a result the Suzuki Hustler (-3.6%) and Wagon R (-9.3%) drop one spot each to #5 and #6 respectively. Other notable evolutions include the Daihatsu Taft (+215.4%), Toyota Pixis (+73.2%), Daihatsu Mira (+58.1%) and Suzuki Jimny (+32.2%).

Looking at foreign models, the Mini (+46.9%) keeps the lead ahead of the VW Golf (+38.2%) and T-Cross (+92.1%) up 10 spots to #3. The Mercedes GLC (+9.9%) is weaker at #4, but the Mercedes G Class (+72.1%) and Audi A3 (+24.7%) advance fast, the former up 10 ranks to #5. The BMW X1 (#8), X3 (#11), Audi A5 (#17) and VW Tiguan (#20) all break into the Top 20.

Previous post: Japan June 2025: Toyota Raize threatens Yaris/Cross for 1st place

One year ago: Japan June 2024: Toyota (-14.6%), Honda (+37%) on top

Full H1 2025 Top 58 All brands, Top 50 regular cars, Top 37 All kei cars and Top 20 foreign models below.