Vehicle sales in Japan will expand this year to 5.85 million units from the 5.79 million recorded last year, the chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said Thursday.
"I believe we can achieve the goal because overall new vehicle sales between January and May increased," said Yoshihide Munekuni, reviewing domestic vehicles sales during the first half of this year. "Besides, makers will introduce more new cars at the Tokyo Motor Show" in October.
Munekuni also serves as chairman of Honda Motor Co.
New vehicle sales over the January-May period came to 1.75 million units, up 4 percent from the same period last year, thanks to brisk sales of cars and trucks, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
JAMA is also optimistic about Japanese sales in the United States, he said.