Rivals Attempting to Threaten Honda's Lead in Minivehicle Sales

Tokyo, Oct. 4 (Jiji Press)--Honda Motor Co. still leads the sales battle on minivehicles, which are attracting strong demand in the country due to their reasonable prices and excellent maneuverability. But other makers have shifted up gears to overtake Honda. Honda's N-Box left its rivals in the dust for the 25th consecutive month in September, sales data compiled by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association showed Friday. Minivehicles with 660 cc engines held the top four positions in the brand-by-brand sales list for new four-wheeled vehicles in the April-September first half of fiscal 2019, according to the two industry groups. The N-Box and all three other models are so-called "height wagons" with roomy indoor space, especially attracting strong demand from child-rearing households. Honda launched the fully remodeled N-Box in September 2017 with improved safety features. It has kept enjoying strong demand since then, although the popularity of a new model usually wanes in around one year, experts said. "With respect, officials of rival automakers describe the N-Box as a monster," a person close to a major automaker said. Fiscal first-half sales data show the N-Box has been the champion for three years, with 136,047 units finding owners in April-September this year alone. The result reflects Honda's continued moves to add value to the series. On Friday, the company released revamped models boasting higher safety functions. Meanwhile, other minivehicle makers have been stepping up efforts to snap the N-Box's winning streak. In July, Daihatsu Motor Co. launched the fully remodeled Tanto series made friendlier to families with small children. New features include a "walk-through package" that allows the driver to easily take care of a baby in the rear while the car is stopping. "We're eager to grab the top spot," Daihatsu President Soichiro Okudaira said. Tanto sales ranked second in August thanks to the new model effects, coming only 1,400 units shy of N-Box sales. In September, the Tanto continued to draw strong demand, scoring a year-on-year sales expansion of 84.3 pct. But the N-Box ran faster, with the sales gap widening to 6,600 units. "It isn't easy to pull the N-Box down," an industry analyst said. Even so, not only Daihatsu but other rival makers have already taken the offensive. Nissan Motor Co. released the new Dayz wagon through the first full model changeover in six years in March, offering model versions equipped with the "propilot" cutting-edge driver assistance system. Last December, Suzuki Motor Corp. added an SUV-like model to the Spacia lineup, known for high fuel economy. With new models seen hitting the streets one after another, the minivehicle market, which is unique in Japan, will unquestionably gain further momentum, industry watchers said.