Sales of new imported vehicles in Japan, including those built abroad by Japanese automakers, rose 10.8 percent in May to 22,834 units, an industry body said Thursday.
Sales of foreign-brand vehicles rose 12.2 percent compared with the previous May to 20,104 units, while sales of Japanese cars grew just 1.8 percent to 2,730 units, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association.
By brand, Mercedes-Benz ranked top with 4,318 units sold, up 40.4 percent, for a market share of 18.9 percent. Volkswagen came second with 3,660 units, down 15.7 percent, for a 16.0 percent share, followed by BMW with 3,174 units, up 27.9 percent, for a share of 13.9 percent.
Among Japanese brands, Nissan sold 1,162 units, up 3.1 percent, while Toyota's sales climbed 1.1 percent to 1,187 units.