India-made Jimny helps Suzuki top Japan imports in June, overtakes Mercedes

Demand for the India-built Jimny Nomad pushes Suzuki past Mercedes in Japan's import charts, even as Maruti Suzuki faces a domestic slowdown in sales

Suzuki Motor Corp overtook Mercedes-Benz to become Japan’s top car importer in June, driven by demand for its India-built compact SUVs, led by the Jimny Nomad. The company imported 4,780 vehicles during the month, a 230-fold year-on-year increase, marking its second time leading Japan’s import charts this year, after a similar performance in April, according to the Japan Automobile Importers Association, as reported by Bloomberg.

 

The five-door Jimny Nomad, an extended version of Suzuki’s cult off-roader, has ignited a buying frenzy in Japan since its April debut. Priced at JPY 2.65 million (around $18,300), the model received 50,000 pre-orders within days, overwhelming the company’s monthly sales target of 1,200 units and forcing a temporary halt to new bookings just four days after launch.

   

To meet demand, Suzuki plans to scale up Jimny Nomad production at its Indian facilities starting this month. The Fronx, another India-made SUV added to Suzuki’s Japan lineup in October, has also contributed to the surge in imports.

 

Yet, while Suzuki thrives in Japan thanks to its Indian manufacturing base, its Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki, has seen some slowdown in its home market.

 

Maruti Suzuki domestic sales drop in June

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd reported a 6 per cent year-on-year drop in total sales in June 2025 to 167,993 units, down from 179,228 units a year earlier. Domestic passenger vehicle dispatches fell 13 per cent to 118,906 units, as part of a broader slowdown in small-car sales.

 

“The slowdown in passenger vehicle sales is largely due to a sharp decline in the smaller segment cars,” said Rahul Bharti, senior executive officer at Maruti Suzuki India, as earlier reported by Business Standard. “This is clearly an affordability issue.” He noted that since 2019, industry-wide entry-level prices have jumped over 70 per cent, largely due to tighter safety and emissions regulations, while small-car sales have dropped by more than 70 per cent. Maruti Suzuki, did, however, note a significant rise in its exports to 37,842 units from 31,033 reported in June 2024.

 

Creta becomes India’s top-selling PV in H1 2025

In the SUV segment, South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor India’s mid-size Creta was the top-selling passenger vehicle in India in June with 15,786 units, narrowly ahead of Maruti’s Dzire (15,484). The Creta also ranked as the second best-selling vehicle in the first half of the calendar year 2025 with 100,560 units, just behind the Wagon R (101,424).

 

US-made cars lack ‘Japan-friendly offerings’

Back in Japan, Suzuki’s surge marks a broader shift in consumer attitudes. “Japanese consumers don’t particularly care whether vehicles are produced in Thailand, India or Japan if they want a particular car,” Takeshi Miyao, analyst at Carnorama, told Bloomberg. He contrasted that with the continued struggles of US brands like GM and Ford, which still lack small, Japan-friendly offerings.

 

Honda, too, is leveraging India’s manufacturing ecosystem. Its India-built WR-V, launched domestically last year at JPY 2.1 million, which contributed to a 22-fold rise in Honda’s annual Japan imports in 2024 to over 45,000 units — earning it the top importer slot in Q1 2025.

 

Mercedes-Benz leads Japan’s imports in H1 2025

Yet over the H1 2025, Mercedes-Benz retained its overall lead with 25,016 units imported into Japan, followed by Honda (~22,000) and Suzuki in third. Nissan ranked ninth, with its Thai-made Kicks crossover. Among American brands, Stellantis-owned Jeep led with over 4,000 units imported, outpacing GM and Ford.