Six major Japanese automobile companies announced on the 1st that new car sales in the United States for the period from January to September 2024 totaled 4,377,320 units, an increase of 6.7% from the same period last year. In addition to improved supply constraints for new cars due to semiconductor shortages, demand for new cars remained steady, especially for hybrid vehicles (HVs), and overall sales increased compared to the same period last year. Two companies had double-digit increases.

Toyota Motor Corporation, which has the largest number of Japanese cars, increased by 6.2% to 1,729,519 units. Sales of the HV model of the Camry sedan, which is popular in the United States, were strong. Sales of the luxury brand Lexus were also strong. General Motors (GM), the US giant that competes with Toyota in terms of annual sales, saw sales decline by 1.0% to 1,949,920 units.

Honda’s sales increased by 8.8% to 1,056,495 units due to strong sales of its main car “Civic” and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). Nissan Motor Co.’s sales increased by 0.6% to 701,524 units. (joint)