Japan Car Sales By Local Brand & Size : 2015

Daihatsu are a big mini car maker. Now 100% Toyota owned

Japanese brands dominate the local sales but didn't do so well in 2015. the reason can be seen below. With Japan reducing incentives to buy mini or Kei cars, the effect is of interest. Let's look at the facts.

Standard cars: They accounted for 32% of sales and were down 5.8%. Toyota was down 12% in this area, while imports were up marginally at +1.8%.

Small cars: Toyota increased to 56.4% of this category and held sales at the 2014 level. Overall they were down 5.1%.

Mini cars: This specialist area tumbled 17.8% with reduced incentives. Brands that do well here felt the impact, Suzuki in particular.

Total: Mazda and Lexus were the only brands to increase and they sell mainly and exclusively in the standard size car. Imports likewise are mainly of that category and fared better than the total market.

	Standard			Small			Mini			Total
Toyota	491,649	-12.0%		761,460	0.0%		18,554	-21.9%		1,271,663	-5.4%
Honda	125,738	-9.9%		255,539	-16.7%		317,167	-14.2%		698,444	-14.4%
Suzuki	4,252	42.0%		72,404	-3.8%		427,496	-23.1%		504,152	-20.5%
Nissan	157,974	-12.1%		150,760	-15.7%		175,623	-16.7%		484,357	-14.9%
Daihats	261	-23.0%		1,363	-12.2%		466,517	-14.5%		468,141	-14.5%
Mazda	113,494	11.5%		73,769	44.8%		34,571	-25.5%		221,834	11.4%
Subaru	122,991	-1.6%		994	-37.4%		23,567	-13.0%		147,552	-4.0%
Mitsubis	30,639	-0.2%		8,496	-32.0%		47,819	-19.8%		86,954	-15.4%
Lexus	48,231	9.0%		-	-		-	-		48,231	9.0%
Imports	259,312	1.8%		25,159	-26.2%		90	-29.6%		284,561	-1.5%
Total	1,354,541	-5.8%		1,349,944	-5.1%		1,511,404	-17.8%		4,215,889	-10.3%

Data source: JAMA.

Summary: The reduction in assistance to Kei cars is the right move. It's out of date and artificially affecting car buying patterns. What the longer term policy is I do not know, but like any change the market will soon find its level. Car makers will adjust to meet the new situation.

Mazda isn't reliant on mini cars thankfully

Liechtenstein Top Ten Sales By Brand : 2005-2015

In the final installment (1 of 4), things were changing here. 2nd to 4th was now controlled by three German premium marques, with two newcomers at 5th and 6th. Both of those newbies are VW owned so the strong preference (or loyalty) to cars with a German connection is evident. Toyota was the only Top 10 survivor for Japanese makes by 2015. Volvo had briefly made the Top 10 in the last ten year period but was 24th by 2015.

Each column after the brand counts the years from 2005 to 2015 with sales listed for the Top 10 of that year. So in 1995 VW sold 343 cars and Chrysler made 10th spot with 73 sales.

Although a small nation with sales around the 2,000 unit per annum, I still find interest in what goes on there. It's good that the local statistical office allows us a glimpse into car sales.

Rk	Brand	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15
1	VW	303	297	282	294	233	264	338	364	315	317	342
2	Audi	150	167	170	175	166	179	195	208	231	195	237
3	BMW	167	130	212	181	117	160	176	185	165	198	201
4	Mercedes	118	138	134	142	117	85	115	140	116	104	150
5	Seat									56	91	121
6	Škoda				70		62	75	100	67	78	103
7	Opel	84	87	94	75	70	78	81	66	85	65	81
8	Toyota	158	175	159	156	131	132	123	117	111	92	79
9	Ford	75	67	64	84	78	94	116	111	97	58	71
10	Renault	100	87	83	81	75	72	98	70	69	59	65
	Subaru		59			47			57
	Nissan	61		60		47	59	65
	Mazda	68	61	61	77	68

Data source: Statistical Office of Liechtenstein.
Article source: http://raycee1234.blogspot.co.nz/ (If you are not reading it at that website, then it has been taken without permission).

Sometimes cows come before cars

Liechtenstein Top Ten Sales By Brand : 1995-2004

Toyota was now second but could they hold on to that?

In this third in a series of articles, we see that VW remained top in Liechtenstein with a Toyota was up to an impressive second. The premium German marques were now taking 3rd to 5th and Opel was doing nicely too at 6th. Mazda was the second Japanese representative with any regularity with cameo appearances from Subaru and Nissan. Total sales went from 1,676 in 1997 to 2,115 in 1999.

Each column after the brand counts the years from 1995 to 2004 with sales listed for the Top 10 of that year. So in 1995 VW sold 343 cars and Chrysler made 10th spot with 73 sales.

	Rk	Brand	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04
	1	VW	343	347	229	369	447	398	418	367	296	269
	2	Toyota	117	144	136	133	134	158	165	171	171	158
	3	BMW	106	104	98	108	102	98	147	152	115	146
	4	Audi	125	169	138	156	192	131	200	169	150	140
	5	Mercedes	76	97	98	138	139	134	151	172	102	138
	6	Opel	203	160	179	146	147	130	141	112	105	122
	7	Renault	129	121	130	128	137	130	120	110	99	100
	8	Mazda		75	57	69	75	55	66	70	72	73
	9	Ford	113	124	104	111	108	88	83	88	75	64
	10	Volvo				58						51
		Peugeot								56	51
		Subaru			63		66		44
		Chrysler	73	64				63
		Nissan	58	64

Data source: Statistical Office of Liechtenstein.

Picture Source: Wikimedia Commons.