2020 (Full Year) Japan: Best-Selling Minicar (Kei) Brands and Models

2020 (full year sales): Daihatsu was the top mini-vehicle maker in Japan, Suzuki the best-selling minicar brand, and the Honda N-Box the top-selling Kei model.

Honda N-Box ยฉ Honda Japan
2020 (full year): Daihatsu was the top mini-vehicle maker in Japan, Suzuki the best-selling minicar brand, and the Honda N-Box the top-selling Kei model.
Honda N-Box ยฉ Honda Japan

In full calendar year 2020, Daihatsu remained the largest producer of mini-vehicles in Japan but Suzuki became the best-selling mini passenger car brand. The Honda N-Box was again the top-selling Kei car model.

Latest Japan Car Sales Statistics: 2024 — Brands, Models, Minicars; Data for 2023 – 2009.

Mini Vehicle Sales in Japan in 2020 (Full Year)

Mini vehicle registrations in Japan in full calendar year 2020 was 10.1% lower than a year ago at 1,718,088 mini vehicles. The market for mini passenger cars also contracted by 10% to 1,331,149 kei cars.

Mini cars (kei-jidousya) in Japan are vehicles defined by amongst others being shorter than 3.4 m with a maximum height of 2 m and a maximum width of 1.48 m. The engine capacity is restricted to 0.66 l measured by the Japanese standard.

Best-Selling Mini Vehicle Brands in Japan in 2020 (Full Year)

The top-selling mini vehicle producers by brand in Japan in 2020 (January to December) according to Zenkeijkyo were:

Mini Vehiclesๅ››่ผช่ปŠ็ทๅฐๆ•ฐSales 2020Sales 2019% Change
Totalๅˆ ่จˆ1,718,0881,910,346-10.1
1Daihatsuใƒ€ใ‚คใƒใƒ„536,292615,240-12.8
2Suzukiใ‚น ใ‚บ ใ‚ญใ€€523,604573,986-8.8
3Hondaใƒ› ใƒณ ใƒ€325,332364,833-10.8
4Nissanๆ—ฅ ็”ฃ202,255200,1291.1
5Mitsubishiไธ‰ ่ฑ42,73656,559-24.4
6Mazdaใƒž ใƒ„ ใƒ€35,64136,899-3.4
7Toyotaใƒˆใ€€ใƒจใ€€ใ‚ฟ31,37336,432-13.9
8Subaruใ‚น ใƒ ใƒซ20,76726,186-20.7
9Othersใ ใฎ ไป–88827.3
Source: Zenkeijkyo

Mini cars (kei-jidousya) in Japan are vehicles defined by amongst others being shorter than 3.4 m with a maximum height of 2 m and a maximum width of 1.48 m. The engine capacity is restricted to 0.66 l measured by the Japanese standard.

There were no changes in the rank order of the largest mini-vehicle producers in Japan in 2020 compared to a year ago. Nissan was the only carmaker to increase mini-vehicle sales in Japan in 2020. Mazda and Suzuki gained market share while Mitsubishi lost nearly a quarter of sales and Subaru more than a fifth.

Best-Selling Minicar Brands in Japan in 2020 (Full Year)

The top-selling mini passenger car producers by brand in Japan in 2020 (January to December) according to Zenkeijkyo were:

Passenger Carsๅ››่ผชไน—็”จ่ปŠๅฐๆ•ฐSales 2020Sales 2019% Change
Totalๅˆ ่จˆ1,331,1491,479,205-10.0
1Suzukiใ‚น ใ‚บ ใ‚ญใ€€403,480433,499-6.9
2Daihatsuใƒ€ใ‚คใƒใƒ„394,893464,148-14.9
3Hondaใƒ› ใƒณ ใƒ€274,439304,191-9.8
4Nissanๆ—ฅ ็”ฃ163,918161,8941.3
5Mitsubishiไธ‰ ่ฑ33,74645,595-26.0
6Mazdaใƒž ใƒ„ ใƒ€28,58129,238-2.2
7Toyotaใƒˆใ€€ใƒจใ€€ใ‚ฟ19,68724,669-20.2
8Subaruใ‚น ใƒ ใƒซ12,32015,892-22.5
9Othersใ ใฎ ไป–85797.6
Source: Zenkeijkyo

The only rank order change compared to sales in 2019 was that Suzuki outsold Daihatsu by nearly 10,000 mini cars compared to a deficit of 30,000 a year ago. Nissan was the only minicar producer to have increased mini passenger car sales in Japan in 2020 compared to a year ago. Mazda and Suzuki gained market share while Mitsubishi sales were down by more than a quarter while Toyota and Subaru mini car sales were down by more than a fifth.

Best-Selling Minicar Models in Japan in 2020 (Full Year)

The top-selling mini passenger car models in Japan in full-year 2020 were:

BrandModel้€š็งฐๅSales 2020Sales 2019% 20/19
1HondaN-BOX๏ผฎ-๏ผข๏ผฏ๏ผธ195,984253,500-22.7
2SuzukiSpaciaใ‚นใƒšใƒผใ‚ทใ‚ข139,851166,389-15.9
3DaihatsuTantoใ‚ฟใƒณใƒˆ129,680175,292-26.0
4DaihatsuMoveใƒ ใƒผใƒด104,133122,835-15.2
5NissanDaysใƒ‡ใ‚คใ‚บ87,029157,439-44.7
6SuzukiHustlerใƒใ‚นใƒฉใƒผ80,11457,84038.5
7DaihatsuMirrorใƒŸใƒฉ73,46294,527-22.3
8NissanRooxใƒซใƒผใ‚ฏใ‚น72,820NewNew
9HondaN-WGN๏ผฎ-๏ผท๏ผง๏ผฎ69,35332,382114.2
10SuzukiWagon Rใƒฏใ‚ดใƒณ๏ผฒ66,06190,046-26.6
Source: Zenkeijkyo

In 2020, the Honda N-Box remained Japan’s favorite mini car model for the fifth consecutive year. The N-box outsold the Toyota Yaris — Japan’s top-selling regular car model — by 44,000 vehicles. However, the N-Box and all five top-selling minicar models sold in lower numbers in 2020 than the broader market.

In contrast, the Honda N-WGN more than double sales while the Suzuki Hustler also sharply increased volume. The new Nissan Roox was launched early in the year

Latest Japan Car Sales Statistics: 2024 — Brands, Models, Minicars; Data for 2023 – 2009.

About the author:

Henk Bekker

Henk Bekker is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in online writing. His best-selling cars website has been reporting car sales statistics since 2008 with classic car auction prices focusing on the most expensive automobiles sold at public auctions in the past decade. He also owns the travel websites European-Traveler.com and Lake Geneva Switzerland. Henk holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School and an MSc in Finance from the University of London.