Mercedes Tops VW as Top-Selling Japanese Import

TOKYO – Japan’s imported-vehicle market fell 2.2% year-over-year to 328,622 units in 2015, the second straight year of decline, the Japan Automobile Importers Assn. reports.

Imports accounted for an estimated 6.5% of new-vehicle demand in 2015. Despite the year-over-year decline, sales slowed at a lower rate than domestically built cars, which are on track to show an 8.9% drop when full-year results are announced later this month.

The main reason for the drop is the lingering effects of a higher consumption tax which went into effect in April 2014 and has dampened the economy overall. The association has made no 2016 forecast.

The association says Mercedes-Benz overtook Volkswagen as the best-selling import brand in 2015, reporting sales of 65,162 units, up 7.1% year-on-year. Volkswagen registered an 18.8% decline to 54,766 units, possibly curtailed by last fall’s diesel-emissions scandal.

Rounding out the top five sellers were BMW (46,229 up 1.3%%), Audi (29,414, down 6.4%); and Nissan (21,225, down 8.9%).

BMW’s Mini came in sixth again on sales of 21,083 units, up 19.8%. Toyota ranked seventh with 14,777 deliveries, down 10.1%, followed by Volvo (13,786), Jeep (7,132) and Porsche (6,690). Jeep, up 6.6%, was the highest-selling U.S. brand, followed by Ford (4,968, up 3.9%).

By model, Japan’s best-selling import in 2015 again was the Volkswagen Golf at 25,635 units, although sales fell 18.4% from a year earlier. After the Golf were the Mini (21,083, up 19.8%) and Mercedes C-Class (21,031, up 32.5%).

Following were the Volkswagen Polo, BMW 3-Series, Audi A3, BMW 2-Series, BMW 1-Series, Mercedes CLA and Volvo 40 Series.

Imports of Japanese-brand vehicles built in other countries fell 5.8% to 43,126 units.