Can Suzuki eventually out export the likes of Toyota one day?
Suzuki surpassed Mercedes-Benz to become Japan’s top car importer in June, driven by surging demand for its Jimny Nomad and another small SUV manufactured in India. According to data released by the Japan Automobile Importers Association, Suzuki imported 4,780 vehicles into Japan last month, a dramatic increase of over 230 times compared to the same period last year.
This performance allowed Suzuki to overtake Mercedes-Benz, which has traditionally led the import market. Suzuki also held the top importer position earlier in April. This achievement is especially noteworthy given Suzuki’s relatively modest size on the global stage.
Moreover, while Honda is also a longtime importer of its own vehicles, Suzuki’s rise stands out, considering it trails far behind industry giants like Toyota in total global production. Vehicle imports are currently a hot-button issue, partly due to pressure from the U.S., where President Donald Trump has used the threat of tariffs to push for increased Japanese imports of American-made vehicles.
However, Japanese consumer preferences play a larger role. “Japanese buyers don’t mind whether a car is built in India, Thailand, or Japan as long as it meets their expectations,” said Takeshi Miyao, an analyst at automotive consultancy Carnorama.
He emphasized that American automakers like GM and Ford struggle in Japan because they lack small, fuel-efficient cars like kei models that are popular with Japanese drivers. The Jimny Nomad, a five-door version of Suzuki’s rugged Jimny SUV, has seen explosive demand.
On top of that, priced at around ¥2.65 million (roughly USD18,300), the Jimny racked up about 50,000 pre-orders before its April launch, far exceeding the company’s initial monthly target of 1,200 units. Orders were halted just four days after the launch due to overwhelming interest.
To meet demand, Suzuki plans to increase production of the Nomad in India starting in July. It is also importing the Fronx, another compact SUV assembled in India, which debuted in October. India remains central to Suzuki’s global strategy.
The company expects India’s auto market to grow to 20 million units annually by 2047, and it aims for its subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki, to capture 50 percent of that market by 2030. Honda has also benefited from Indian production. Its WR-V, introduced in March 2024, helped boost Honda’s imported vehicle registrations to 45,107 units last year, a 22-fold increase.
In the first half of 2025, Honda ranked second in imports with around 22,000 units, following Mercedes-Benz. Suzuki came in third, while Nissan and Jeep also posted notable figures. We got all this from The Japan Times and their full article is linked here. Thank you The Japan Times for the information and images.
