Toyota Corolla regains top spot in 2003 among Japan's best-selling cars

AFX News Limited

January 8, 2004

TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Toyota Motor Corp's Corolla compact regained the top spot among Japan's best-selling cars in 2003, a year after it gave up its 33-year hold on the No. 1 position to Honda Motor Co's Fit, the auto dealers' association said.

Last year Toyota sold 198,904 units of the Corolla, a best-seller since it was first launched in 1966, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

The model regained the top spot from the Fit, badged as the Jazz in Europe and Asia, it said.

Corolla sales, however, slipped 12.1 pct from 2002 when the 1,300-2,200cc sedan ranked second behind the Fit.

Sales of the 1,300-1,500cc Fit, which debuted in mid-2001, tumbled 27.3 pct to 182,285 units, the association said.

Toyota's urban sports vehicle, the Wish, which was put on the market a year earlier, placed third with 158,658 units.

The first seven of the top 10 are all compact or sub-compact models, while the last three are all minivans.

Honda's minivan Odyssey was the top seller in December alone with 13,148 units, a month after it was remodelled for domestic sales, the association said.

The 10 best-selling cars in Japan in 2003: (Tabulated by model, maker, sales volume)

1. Corolla (Toyota) 198,904, 2. Fit (Honda) 182,285, 3. Wish (Toyota) 158,658, 4. Cube (Nissan) 139,570, 5. March (Nissan) 123,709 6. ist (Toyota) 103,946, 7. Demio (Mazda) 88,170, 8. Noah (Toyota) 86,922, 9. Alphard (Toyota) 83,529, 10. Estima (Toyota) 74,940

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