Japan: New imported vehicle sales rise 42.8% in April, up for 18th month

The Mainichi Daily News (Tokyo) - Sales of new imported vehicles in Japan, including those built abroad by Japanese automakers, rose 42.8 percent in April from a year earlier to 16,627 units, up for the 18th straight month, an industry body said Tuesday.

Of the total, sales of Japanese-brand vehicles gained 223.0 percent to 4,067 units, buoyed by Nissan Motor Co.'s imports of the March subcompact car for sale in the domestic market, according to data released by the Japan Automobile Importers Association.

Sales of foreign-brand cars, trucks and buses gained 21.0 percent to 12,560 units, rebounding from a drop the previous month triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which delayed deliveries.

An association official said an increase in demand in major cities elsewhere in Japan made up for the slump in sales in the devastated northeastern areas.

Volkswagen topped the ranking by manufacturer, seizing a share of 17.9 percent of the market for imported vehicles with sales of 2,970 units, up 5.9 percent from a year before.

Nissan, with a market share of 16.7 percent, followed with sales of 2,768 units compared with only 9 units it sold a year earlier. BMW came in third with sales of 2,260 units, up 56.3 percent.

Nissan has been selling the Thailand-made March subcompact car since July last year after terminating its production in Japan.