Japan’s 2023 New Car Sales Rise for First Time in Five Years: N-Box Stays on Top

Statistics released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association show that 4,779,086 new cars in total were sold in the country in 2023, a rise of 13.8% year-on-year and the first increase in five years. While the easing of the global semiconductor shortage led to this recovery in sales, the figure still fell short of the pre-pandemic level of 5 million vehicles.

A breakdown by type of vehicle showed that minicar sales increased by 6.5% year on year to 1,744,919, while sales of standard vehicles (passenger cars and cargo vehicles, excluding minicars) rose by 18.4% to 3,034,167. By manufacturer, Toyota (including Lexus) displayed its strength with a 29.8% increase.

New Car Sales in 2023 by Major Brand

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Japan Automobile Dealers Association and Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association.　

By brand, the Honda N-Box “tall wagon”-style minicar was the top-selling passenger car for the second consecutive year with a year-on-year increase of 14.4% to 231,385. The other top two places went to Toyota’s compact car Yaris, which sold 194,364 (a 15.3% increase) and Daihatsu’s minicar Tanto (a 47.8% increase). Although the N-Box appears compact, it has a spacious interior and has helped maintain the popularity of minicars. Another positive factor was that it underwent a complete model change for the first time in six years.

Created by Nippon.com based on data from Japan Automobile Dealers Association and Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association. Asterisks indicate minicars.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo: The all-new N-Box released by Honda in 2023. © Jiji.)