Sales of new cars in Japan, excluding minivehicles with engine displacements of up to 660 cc, fell 5.9% in August over last year to 232,225 units.
It was the lowest level in nineteen years for the month according to the Japanese Automobile Dealers Association (JADA).
Looking ahead, JADA said that sales in 2006 are unlikely to reach 2005’s level of 3.92 million units as higher gasoline prices continue to encourage customers to shift to fuel-efficient minivehicles from bigger automobiles.