Japanese Automakers Report Record 6-Month Output

TOKYO – Japanese automakers report production in the first six months of 2015 grew 3.9% to a record 13.2 million units.

Industry leader Toyota manufactured 4.4 million vehicles during the period, down 2.3% from prior-year. Including small-car subsidiary Daihatsu and truck producer Hino, output fell 3.1% to 5.0 million. 

Production outside Japan by Toyota, Daihatsu and Hino totaled 3.0 million units, unchanged from the previous year.

Nissan produced 2.58 million units, down 1.7%, including 601,303 in China; 487,851 in Mexico; 457,471 in the U.S.; and 412,332 in the U.K., the automaker’s main overseas manufacturing bases. In Japan, output fell 0.6% to about 620,000 units.

The automaker reported declines in all major markets except Mexico where production was up a fractional 0.4%. Production grew 22.8% in other markets – Brazil, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand – although Nissan did not break out results.

Honda reported a 3.9% decline in first-half production to 2.2 million units. Builds outside Japan totaled 1.86 million, including 935,025 in North America; 775,887 in Asia; and 65,095 in Europe. The U.S. and China, Honda’s major overseas production bases, reported 646,756 and 420,166 assemblies, respectively.

Fourth-ranked Suzuki reported a 0.6% uptick in global production to 1.56 million units, including 1.05 million overseas, mainly in India.

Mazda says global production from January through June totaled 740,468 units, up 15.3%. Unlike Japan’s Big Three, Mazda still builds most of its vehicles in Japan although the overseas share is increasing.

During the period, it built 463,122 units in Japan, 62.5% of its global total, and 277,346 overseas, where production grew 79.6%.

Mitsubishi saw production decline 3.3% to 620,467 units roughly divided between domestic and overseas facilities. More than 80% of Mitsubishi output outside Japan – 256,177 out of 306,950 units – was produced in Asia. 

Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of Subaru cars, reported record 6-month production of 465,773 units, up 10.3% over like-2014. 

 Although still accounting for only one-fourth of global output, production at the automaker's Lafayette, IN, plant grew 34.6% to 115,265 units. Subaru attributes the upturn to strong demand for the Legacy and Outback models in North America.

The 6-month total does not include three of Japan’s four truck makers – Isuzu, Mitsubishi Fuso and UD Trucks.