by Japanese cars made in India are conquering the Japanese market
Japan has a strong domestic car market, but despite this, it imports thousands of vehicles every year. An interesting fact is that in April, the largest number of imported cars to Japan belonged to a Japanese brand—Suzuki. This company produces several models in India and then supplies them back to Japan.
Popularity of the Jimny Nomade and other models
The five-door Jimny Nomade has been particularly successful. In April, Suzuki imported 3,990 cars, surpassing Mercedes-Benz (3,202 cars) and BMW (2,575 cars). Demand for the Jimny Nomade was so high that the company received around 50,000 orders in just four days, even though it expected to sell only 1,200 cars per month.
Suzuki believes that the Fronx could become a key global model and plans to sell it in over 70 countries.
The company has set ambitious goals for Indian production, planning to increase annual output to 4 million cars by 2031. To achieve this, Suzuki is investing $8.3 billion in Indian plants to make India a key hub for supplying markets in Japan, Europe, and Africa.
Besides Suzuki, other Japanese manufacturers also import cars to their home country. For example, Honda imported 16,720 cars in four months. Overall, imports of Japanese brands to Japan grew by 33% compared to last year. This shows that even with a strong domestic market, Japanese automakers are actively seeking opportunities abroad.
Recent years have shown that production globalization is becoming increasingly important for the automotive industry. Even traditionally closed markets like Japan are beginning to actively use imported models to meet demand and reduce costs. Suzuki, in particular, demonstrates how local production in countries like India can become the key to success on the international stage.
