Japanese Brands Have Mixed Month in US

Japanese carmakers had mixed January U.S. sales results as a group, Toyota volume falling 15%, even as its global sales helped it retain the title of the world’s biggest vehicle manufacturer.

Honda finally got its head above water, posting a 14% year-over-year U.S. sales jump after more than a year and a half of declines. It credited double the on-hand inventory it had a year earlier.

Toyota suffered particularly poor inventory and saw sales fall as a result.

Meanwhile, sales rose at Hyundai, Kia, Mazda and Subaru. South Korean manufacturers Hyundai and Kia saw 9% and 22% increases, respectively, a January record for the latter. Subaru’s sales inched up 0.5%, its sixth straight month of improvements. And Mazda posted a 9% increase.

Other automakers that release monthly sales results, including Ford, will announce January numbers later this week.

LEARN MORE: Carmakers Post Strong Year-End Sales

Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today