Japanese automakers show luxury

Japanese automakers show luxury, SUV offerings at New York auto expo

Japanese car makers showcased their sports utility vehicles and luxury cars at the annual New York International Auto Show, which opened on Wednesday.

Toyota Motor Corp. debuted the 2014 Highlander SUV with a redesigned exterior, increased interior space and three engine choices including a hybrid option.

"We think it will wow buyers with its sophisticated look," Toyota group vice president Bill Fay said at the event to introduce the eight-seat vehicle that will be built at the company's manufacturing plant in Indiana.

Japan's mini-car sales jump to record high

Sales in Japan of 660 cc passenger mini-cars jumped to a record high in the last financial year, signalling structural change in a market where family size is shrinking and buyers are shifting to smaller cars.

Buyers and owners pay less tax for mini-vehicles, a category known as "kei" in Japan for cars that follow certain size and other criteria, than for bigger vehicles.

Automakers sold a record 1.57 million passenger mini-cars in the year ended on March 31, up 23 percent from the previous year, industry data showed on Monday.

Combined sales of mini-trucks, mini-vans and passenger mini-cars were 1.97 million vehicles, up 16.8 percent from a year ago and the second highest on record. That accounted for nearly 40 percent of the 5.21 million automobiles sold in the country in the year.

Non-mini sales also rose, by 5.7 percent year-on-year helped by green car subsidies, but the share of minis in total sales extended a growth trend over the past two decades.

SOURCE:
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