2022 (Full Year) Japan: Best-Selling Minicar (Kei) Brands and Models

In full-year 2022, Daihatsu was the top mini-vehicle maker in Japan, Suzuki the best-selling minicar brand, and Honda N-Box the top-selling Kei model.

Latest Japan Car Sales Statistics: 2023 — Brands, Models, Minicars; Data for 2022 – 2009.

Mini Vehicle Sales in Japan in 2022 (Full Year)

Mini vehicle registrations in Japan in the full calendar year 2022 contracted by 0.9% to 1,638,137 mini vehicles compared to 1,652,522 mini vehicles sold in 2021 and 1,718,088 mini vehicles sold in 2020. The market for passenger minicars was down 4% to 1,224,995 kei cars (1,275,836 in 2021 and 1,331,149 kei cars sold in 2020).

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 2022 (Full Year)

The top-selling mini-vehicle producers by brand in Japan in 2022 (January to December) according to Zenkeijkyo were:

	Brand	Brand	2022	2021	% 22/21
	Total	合 計	1,638,137	1,652,522	-0.9
1	Daihatsu	ダイハツ	538,974	532,702	1.2
2	Suzuki	ス ズ キ	501,339	509,169	-1.5
3	Honda	ホ ン ダ	298,969	305,397	2.1
4	Nissan	日 産	177,438	177,380	0.0
5	Mitsubishi	三 菱	41,377	43,144	-4.1
6	Toyota	ト　ヨ　タ	30,457	35,420	-14.0
7	Mazda	マ ツ ダ	30,087	31,060	-3.1
8	Subaru	ス バ ル	19,438	18,198	6.8
	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.

Daihatsu, a subsidiary of Toyota, the largest producer of mini vehicles in Japan in 2022 with sales up 1.2%. Suzuki was again second with sales down 1.5%. Daihatsu is particularly strong in the commercial minicar market — the only vehicle sector in Japan that showed growth in 2022.

Best-Selling Minicar Brands in Japan in 2022 (Full Year)

The top-selling mini passenger car producers by brand in Japan in 2022 (January to December) according to Zenkeijkyo were:

	Brand	Brand	2022	2021	% 22/21
	Total	合 計	1,224,995	1,275,836	-4
1	Suzuki	ス ズ キ	377,605	397,731	-5
2	Daihatsu	ダイハツ	353,753	380,578	-7
3	Honda	ホ ン ダ	265,624	264,803	0
4	Nissan	日 産	142,646	142,667	0
5	Mitsubishi	三 菱	31,882	34,564	-8
6	Mazda	マ ツ ダ	23,499	24,522	-4
7	Toyota	ト　ヨ　タ	19,290	20,819	-7
8	Subaru	ス バ ル	10,671	10,104	6
	Source: Zenkeijkyo

Suzuki and Daihatsu remained the top passenger minicar producers in Japan in 2022. However, Both top kei passenger car brands lost market share to Honda and Nissan which had flat sales. Subaru was the only brand with significant growth but the actual numbers involved are fairly insignificant given the size of the top brands.

Best-Selling Minicar Models in Japan in 2022 (Full Year)

The top-selling mini passenger car models in Japan in the full-year 2022 were:

	Maker	Model Name	通称名	Sales 2022	Sales 2021	% 22/21
1	Honda	N-BOX	Ｎ-ＢＯＸ	202,197	189,940	7.0
2	Daihatsu	Tanto	タント	107,810	116,912	-7.8
3	Suzuki	Spacia	スペーシア	100,206	128,881	-22.2
4	Daihatsu	Move	ムーヴ	94,837	95,840	-1.0
5	Suzuki	Wagon R	ワゴンＲ	82,213	68,970	19.2
6	Nissan	Roox	ルークス	72,600	84,748	-14.3
7	Suzuki	Hustler	ハスラー	70,373	82,486	-14.7
8	Suzuki	Alto	アルト	67,204	60,919	10.3
9	Daihatsu	Mirror	ミラ	65,317	65,803	-0.7
10	Daihatsu	Taft	タフト	56,861	62,278	-9
	Source: Zenkeijkyo

In 2022, the Honda N-Box remained Japan’s favorite mini-car model for the seventh consecutive year. In a smaller market, N-Box sales increased to nearly double those of the second-place Daihatsu Tanto. The N-Box also outsold Japan’s favorite passenger car model in 2022 — the Toyota Yaris sales were down by a fifth to 168,557 cars.

The Daihatsu Tanto gained second place from the Suzuki Spacia, which had sales down by 22%. The Daihatsu Move was the only top-ten Kei car in the same rank position as in 2021.

Never count out the Suzuki Wagon R in Japan — sales increased by a fifth in 2022 to gain two sales rank positions. The Nissan Roox and Suzuki Hustler each slipped one position down. The Suzuki Alto improved two positions with the result that the Daihatsu Mirror and Taft each went down one rank position.

Latest Japan Car Sales Statistics: 2023 — Brands, Models, Minicars; Data for 2022 – 2009.