India tops Japan to become world's No. 3 auto market

Nikkei Asia ^

[FarCenter]

TOKYO/NEW DELHI -- India eclipsed Japan in auto sales last year, according to the latest industry data, making it the third-largest auto market for the first time.

India's sales of new vehicles totaled at least 4.25 million units, based on preliminary results, topping the 4.2 million sold in Japan.

New vehicles delivered in India totaled 4.13 million between January and November 2022, according to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. Adding December's sales volume reported Sunday by Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, brings the total to roughly 4.25 million units.

India's sales volume is expected to rise further with the inclusion of pending fourth-quarter sales figures for commercial vehicles, along with year-end results yet to be released by Tata Motors and other automakers.

In 2021, China continued to lead the global auto market, with 26.27 million vehicles sold. The U.S. remained second at 15.4 million vehicles, followed by Japan at 4.44 million units.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Yeah, that is if you consider a tuktuk a real automobile.

[Repeal The 17th]

I have always liked tatas.

[MinorityRepublican]

Well thats surprising considering the demographics in Japan are crashing. It just shows you how wealthy Japan is and how poor India is.

[Fai Mao]

Tuktuk is Filipino isn’t it?

[catnipman]

reliability, parts and service are the three attributes i value most in an automobile ...

[Ex gun maker.]

Good chance this will not actually happen with India’s commitment to EV’s they will not be able to recharge.
Surprised to see Japan has such a large market.

[poconopundit]

Surprised to see Japan has such a large market [for domestic cars].

* * *

Hey ex gun maker, I think there are several good reasons why car sales are doing well in Japan.  And part of the surprise maybe that news clips of Japan usually focus on big cities like Tokyo and Osaka.  Suburban lifestyles seem to growing at a good clip here in Japan -- and with it, consumers are buying cars.

My wife (former Japanese national) and I moved to Japan 3 months ago to retire.  We tossed around our options and decided that living in the city of Utsunomiya (pop. 500,000) about 2 hours north of Tokyo was a good choice.

Here are my recent observations about life and automobiles in Japan:

• Downtown City Ideal for Retired Folks-- For an older retired person living downtown, NOT owning a car is convenient and a nice cost savings.  Trains and buses are everywhere.  Excellent grocers and restaurants are nearby.  And a light-weight wheeled cart makes toting home the food pretty easy.  Plus the government here discourages the elderly from driving because they cause too many accidents.

• High-Rise Apartment Dwellers Like Cars -- We live in a 6-floor apartment building near the train station ($400 a month working-family class).  But there are several high-grade 15- to 20-story apartment buildings within 2 miles of the station.  And a lot of families who live in those high rises have a car -- because they have the money and like the convenience and luxury of owning one.

• The Suburban Life a Short Distance from Downtown -- Now 3 miles north, south or east of the downtown train station there are no high rise apartments.  5 miles from downtown looks like US suburban life - shopping malls, single family homes and only 2- or 3-story apartments.  The homes are Japan-style two-stories, packed together, and usually have a small plot of land with a few manicured shrubs/trees and maybe a tiny green lawn.

• Cars Essential to Suburban Families -- Suburban life is considered ideal for growing a family.  Sports in Japan is big, so there's more room for athletic fields and parks.  And busy families don't want to walk a mile for groceries.  Another factor is that Covid forced businesses to move many jobs out of cities and permit more working from home.

  [Note on Covid Masks: While the government does not require Covid masks be worn, the public here still does.  Every business and public place expects you to wear a mask.  However, you can take off your mask to eat at a restaurant/coffee shop.  Yes, it's a pain, but fortunately more comfortable face masks are being sold -- and in the winter, a mask helps keeps your face warm :- ) ]

• Car Advertising is in High Gear -- On the TV here, you see a steady stream of high quality car ads, just like you do in the U.S.  So this feeds the appetite for owning a car as a lifestyle enhancement.

• The Cars in Japan -- Japanese cars on the road here are rather small and boxy compared to cars sold by Japanese firms in the U.S.  A high percentage of the cars here are hybrid electric so you frequently hear cars temporarily shutting off at a red light.  And in the downtown area here, you rarely see traffic jams. 

  As a pedestrian, it's quite nice because you sense that cars don't dominate the city.  And in the home of Honda and Kawasaki, it's surprising that you rarely see a motorcycle on the road downtown, though plenty of people ride bicycles. Another surprise: in 3 months I have yet to see a plane overhead nor have I seen a single jet contrail in the sky.

[real saxophonist]

When Tata cars are available here, I’ll get one and put the letters “bodacious” above the logo.

[GranTorino]

Electric tuktuks will be our only auto if the Marxist have their way.

[IndianChief]

Yeah, that is if you consider a tuktuk a real automobile.

The auto-rickshaw, as the tuk-tuk is called here is a 3 wheeler and does not figure in the sales of Automobiles. fyi, another approx 15 million 2 wheelers are sold every year in India, mainly motorbikes, although of smaller engine capacities.

[GOPJ]

You make it sound like a really attractive place to retire. Great choice pundit.

[SunkenCiv]

Tech's been migrating out of China, and into Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, etc, since the CCP locked down Wuhan during its bioweapons mishap.

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  ---

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  ---

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[TomEd]

Tuktuk:

3 wheels
2 cycle motor
1 cylinder motor

[Ex gun maker.]

Been there a few times.
The mandatory engine replacement at relatively low mileage is a car killer.
Few vintage cars and only the wealthy have them.
I do know the 80’s rush to buy classic cars has quietly reversed.

[Berosus]

I have never seen cars from either India or China. Are they any good?

[SunkenCiv]

China’s now 2nd biggest auto exporter, but much of its product goes to places other than the US, afaik.

Land Rover is built in the UK, India, Slovakia, Brazil, and China, depending on the model.

[snip] Land Rover is now owned by the Indian auto manufacturing giant Tata Motors [/snip]
https://www.landrovermissionviejo.com/brand-information/who-owns-land-rover/

[Tijeras_Slim]

What amazes me is how much of Japan is rural and essentially uninhabited. Lovely country.

[Jyotishi]

Great information!
Arigato.