Suzuki Becomes Japan's Largest Car Importer in June

According to Bloomberg, the latest data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association shows that in June of this year, Suzuki surpassed the Mercedes-Benz Group to become Japan's largest car importer, thanks to its locally assembled Jimny Nomad and another popular compact SUV. Suzuki imported 4,780 vehicles into the Japanese market in June, a staggering 229-fold increase compared to the same period last year, making it the top player in Japan's imported car market. Notably, Suzuki also held this title in April. While Honda is known for long-term imports of its vehicles into Japan, Suzuki's achievement stands out. As one of the smaller global automakers, Suzuki does not match the scale of industry leader Toyota. However, with U.S. President Trump recently pressuring Japan to increase imports of U.S.-made cars through tariff threats, the topic of car imports has resurfaced. Analyst Takeshi Miyao from Carnorama stated, "As long as Japanese consumers desire a particular model, they do not particularly care if it's produced in Thailand, India, or Japan." He pointed out that American automakers like General Motors and Ford have struggled to break into the Japanese market because they have failed to offer models that meet local consumer demands, such as kei cars. The Suzuki Jimny Nomad, a five-door long-wheelbase version of the bestselling Jimny, has been a significant success since its launch. Priced starting at 2.65 million yen (approximately $18,300), the model received around 50,000 pre-orders before its official launch in April, far exceeding Suzuki's initial monthly sales target of 1,200 units. Due to demand far exceeding expectations, Suzuki had to suspend order intake just four days after the launch. Suzuki plans to increase production of the Jimny Nomad in India starting in July, which is expected to further boost the availability of this model in the Japanese market. Additionally, Suzuki began importing another compact SUV, the Fronx, produced in India, to Japan last October. It is worth noting that Suzuki has a long history of automobile and motorcycle production and sales in India, where labor and production costs remain low. Suzuki predicts that by 2047, annual sales in the Indian automotive market will reach 20 million units, while its Indian subsidiary Maruti Suzuki aims to capture 50% of the Indian market by 2030. Honda's compact SUV WR-V, also produced in India, has achieved impressive sales in Japan, with a starting price of 2.1 million yen. The model quickly gained traction in the Japanese market thanks to its high cost-performance ratio. Last year, Honda's imported car registration in Japan surged approximately 21-fold to 45,107 units. In the first quarter of this year, Honda was also Japan's largest car importer. In the first half of 2025, Honda ranked second in Japan's import market with around 22,000 units, just behind Mercedes-Benz Group's 25,016 units, with Suzuki in third place. Nissan entered the list with its Kicks crossover produced in Thailand at ninth place. Furthermore, Jeep, a brand under European automaker Stellantis, performed relatively well in Japan in the first half of this year, selling over 4,000 units, ahead of GM and Ford's imported models.