Japan’s Light Passenger Vehicle Market Drops 10% in 2020

Japan’s light passenger vehicle sales in 2020 decreased 10% from the previous year to 1.33 million units. Although several new models were launched in 2020, light passenger vehicle sales decreased for the second consecutive year due to the decreased number of dealership visitors, the slowdown in the pace of orders and the suspension of factory operations triggered by the pandemic. However, monthly sales bottomed out in May (down 52.7% year-on-year) and recovered sharply in October (up 25.6%), November (up 7.8%, and December (up 42.3%).