Japanese Brands Have Mixed Month in US
January sales up at most, down at Toyota.
Kia saw a 22% increase, a January record for the South Korean brand.
IMAGE: Kia
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.
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