Kei High Rider Sales Japan : 2015-23

Kei cars take over a third of the car market in Japan. Their uniqueness means that this slice of the Japanese market is not accessed by foreign brands. There aren't that many models and some are shared between brands to keep them profitable. The government plays its part by providing incentives to assist with their popularity. 

This group of Kei cars are the tallest of them, around the 1.74 metres and slightly taller. Although all are just 3.395 metres long, this gives a surprising amount of room. 

The Honda N-Box (top pic) is the best selling of not only Kei but all cars in Japan. It was introduced at the end of 2011 and was the top selling model in 2012 so an instant hit. 

The Daihatsu Tanto is the second best selling Kei car and the third overall. It arrived at the end of 2003 so it seems to be the first of this very tall Kei style. 

Suzuki's Spacia (lower pic) is the third strongest selling Kei and sixth overall. When introduced in 2008, it was called the Palette but when the second generation came out in 2013, it was given the Spacia moniker. 

The Nissan Dayz Roox arrived in 2014 but simply as the Roox from 2020.  As there is a Nissan Dayz also, I assume the name change was to differentiate the models. It is made by Mitsubishi and it's a very solid selling car. 

Now we enter pancake territory with little to separate the cars. There are shared with larger selling brands and sell in limited numbers.

The Mitsubishi eK Space which is the donor model for the Roox sells in much smaller numbers. That's not surprising as Nissan is a much larger brand in Japan. The Mazda Flair Wagon is basically the Suzuki Spacia and sold since 2013. Finally the Subaru Chiffon, using the Daihatsu Tanto so as to have an offering in this segment. It was introduced in 2017. 

Summary: I find them quirky and yet fascinating too. I would be tempted to own one but they only come to New Zealand in very limited numbers as used imports. 

U.S. Small SUV Sales Comparison : 2015-2023

These models are small in dimensions, especially in a big country. To me, they're an ideal size for zipping around town and still OK for longer commutes. They are 173-4 inches or 4.4 metres in length so not that small. 

The list goes up to 165,000 units sold so not huge numbers for a market the size of the US. This quartet are all US brands to keep the graph uncluttered and easier to view. 

The Ford Bronco Sport (top pic) is a newish model and is the leader here. It looks very similar to the Bronco model but is somewhat shorter in length. It's made in Mexico.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer (pic 2nd from top) was developed by GM Korea and is made there. It follows a similar path to the Bronco Sport but is not quite as successful in terms of numbers sold.

The Jeep Compass (lower pic) has had highs and lows in its recent sales journey and came in third for 2023. Like the Ford, it's made in Mexico for the US market.

The Jeep Patriot ended its sales run in 2017, the similar sized Compass effectively took over from it. I assume having two models so close to each other was deemed unnecessary.

All the models featured here are US brands. Ironically they are all imported but manufacturing costs presumably had a major role in things panning out that way.

U.S. Medium-Small SUV Sales Comparison : 2015-2023

These models I've categorised as Medium but possibly not described like that Stateside. They are around 180 inches or 4.62 metres in length. 

Six models were included here by 2023. The chart shows sales have recently fallen for the vehicles being considered here. 

The leader is the Chevrolet Equinox (pic at top) and a reasonably handsome lead it is too. Quite stylish too in my eyes. 

The Ford Escape was the leading model but has slipped a far way down in sales numbers but seems to have leveled off. 

The Chevrolet Trax has been a consistent selling model at around the 100,000 mark. It is slightly smaller than its stablemate the Equinox.

The GMC Terrain (pic 2nd from top) is the smallest vehicle for the brand and is related to the Equinox. It's had a few ups and downs of late but sharing with another GM product is cost effective. 

The Jeep Cherokee has been a stronger selling model than it is now and for that reason it is being discontinued. 

The Dodge Hornet (Pic below) has arrived and is based heavily on the Alfa Romeo Tonale. The idea of getting an existing model within Stellantis for Dodge had to be cost effective. The thing is it doesn't seem to be selling well. 

The numbers in the chart to the right are in thousands. Only US brands are included in this article.