Japan April-Sept. New Auto Sales Post 1st Rise in 2 Years

Tokyo, Oct. 1 (Jiji Press)–New automobile sales in Japan in April-September rose 0.5 pct from a year before to 2,180,054 units, marking the first increase for the six-month period in two years, industry data showed Wednesday. The growth reflected a pickup in sales at Daihatsu Motor Co., which had been hit by a vehicle testing scandal. On the other hand, Nissan Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. logged sharp sales declines. Of the total sales, passenger and freight vehicles accounted for 1,372,331 units, down 1.8 pct, according to data from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association. Suzuki Motor Corp.’s sales of such vehicles jumped nearly 30 pct, thanks to the popularity of its SUVs. Mazda Motor Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. also posted strong sales. Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp. logged a fall of 1.0 pct, and Nissan and Honda suffered plunges of 17.1 pct and 17.8 pct, respectively. Minivehicle sales grew 4.7 pct to 807,723 units, with Daihatsu, which has a roughly 30 pct market share, enjoying a sharp increase. Mazda and Nissan logged falls of over 10 pct. In September alone, new auto sales fell 2.4 pct to 428,214 units, down for the third consecutive month. Nissan’s sales dropped over 10 pct. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]