Sales of new motor vehicles excluding minivehicles in Japan gained 3.0% in the April-September period from a year earlier to 1,881,121 units for the first rise in two years on a same-term basis, an industry body reportedly said on Monday.
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The Japan Automobile Dealers Association told Kyodo News the rise was led by a 7.5% increase in sales of small passenger cars to 998,368 units in the first half of fiscal 2005.
An association official said that given the steady sales performance in the April-September period, sales of 4 million units in the full year to next March 31 will be possible.
However, Kyodo noted, sales of larger passenger cars slid 4.8% to 601,584 units in the fiscal first half as consumers took a wait-and-see stance ahead of the Tokyo motor show to be held later this month and the launch of Toyota’s Lexus brand cars in late August.
For September alone, sales of new motor vehicles excluding minivehicles in Japan fell 0.1% from the year before to 391,633 units for the third straight month of fall, the association said.
By type, sales of passenger cars with engine displacements of over 2000 cc fell 8.0% to 121,513 units, the association told the news agency, but sales of smaller cars with engines of over 660 cc to 2000 cc rose 4.3% to 208,094 units.
Sales of trucks rose 2.0% to 60,578 units, and buses 30.7% to 1,448, Kyodo News added.
