Japan’s Passenger Vehicle Sales by Engine Type and Displacement in 2020

Looking at Japan’s passenger vehicle sales in 2020 by engine type and displacement (excluding BEV and FCEV models), although the up-to-1.0L class increased significantly, all other classes decreased.

In 2020, sales of gasoline vehicles (not including HEVs) fell 9.4% comparted to the previous year to 2.7 million units, accounting for more than 70% of total passenger vehicle sales. Of these, mini vehicles with a displacement of 660cc or less declined 10% to 1.33 million units. However mini vehicle share rose 0.6pp to 35.1%. Suzuki (down 6.9% to 403,000 units), Daihatsu (down 14.9% 395,000 units) and Honda (down 9.8% to 274,000 units) declined, but Nissan (up 1.3% to 164,000 units) increased thanks to the new Roox launched in March 2020. The up-to-1.0L class increased 24.3% to 397,000 units, expanding for the sixth consecutive year. In this class, only Toyota (up 25.6% to 313,000 units) and Daihatsu (up 28.6% to 56,000 units) are present. Solid sales of the Raize and Rocky, both launched in November 2019, benefitted Toyota. The 1.0-1.5L class decreased 21.1% to 440,000 units, the gap between the up-to-1.0L class and the 1.0-1.5L class shrinking from 238,000 units in 2019 to 43,000 units in 2020. Toyota (down 19.4% to 132,000 units), Honda (down 22.1% to 125,000 units) and Nissan (down 9.1% to 48,000 units) declined, but Suzuki (up 2.1% to 51,000 units) increased sales in 2020. It appears that part of Suzuki’s HEV sales was captured by the automaker’s 1.0-1.5L class.