Japan's new vehicle market declined by 0.5% to 399,540 units in January from 401,650 a year earlier, according to registration data released by the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA).
This was the fourth consecutive monthly decline for the market from relatively high levels, after the country posted its longest period of uninterrupted economic growth since the boom years of the 1980s. GDP expanded by 1.5% year-on-year in the fourth quarter according to preliminary government data, driven by improving consumer spending and strong exports.
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The vehicle market last month was held back by a 3.7% decline in passenger vehicle sales to 339,581 units, while truck sales increased by 3.2% to 59,132 units and bus sales were 12.4% lower at 827 units.
Toyota's sales fell by 6.5% to 106,744 units in January, while Honda's sales were 5.4% lower at 56,412 units. Nissan's sales stabilised after declining sharply in the fourth quarter of last year following the recent final quality inspection scandal, with sales rising by 0.9% to 56,336 units; followed by Daihatsu with an 11.3% rise to 53,599 units; Suzuki 53,395 units (+5.4%); and Mazda 17,695 units (+4.5%).
