Japan sales of foreign-brand vehicles rise 5.5% in August

Sales nationwide of new imported foreign-brand cars, trucks and buses rose 5.5 percent in August from a year before to 20,878 units, with 10 makers recording their highest sales for the reporting month, an industry body said Wednesday.

The 10 include Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi and Renault.

New imported vehicles, including those made abroad by Japanese automakers, totaled 24,156, up 2.7 percent, the Japan Automobile Importers Association said.

By brand, Mercedes-Benz continued to lead with 4,823 units, up 0.4 percent, for a market share of 19.97 percent. BMW came second with 3,786 units, up 12.2 percent, for a share of 15.67 percent. Strong sales following a full model change in the popular BMW 5 Series contributed to the increase, an association official said.

Volkswagen followed with 3,071 units, up 5.6 percent for a 12.71 percent share.

Among Japanese brands, Nissan sold 1,234 units, down 23.7 percent, while Toyota’s sales also dropped 3.4 percent to 1,061 units.

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