Best-selling kei car models in Japan 2024

In 2024, Honda’s N-Box was, once again, the best-selling kei car model in Japan, reaching a sales volume of about 206.27 thousand units. The often box shaped light motor passenger vehicles, known as kei cars in Japan, are a distinctive feature of the domestic automotive market and scarcely sold outside the country. 

Tiny car big in Japan

After being introduced into the Japanese automotive market in the late 1940s, light motor vehicles quickly gained popularity. Kei cars are not only an affordable alternative to regular-sized passenger cars, but also accommodate to the limited space of Japan’s urban areas.
Nowadays, all the country’s big automotive brands participate in light vehicle manufacturing, satisfying the steady demand for maximum convenience in a tiny space.

Consumer diversity

Mini cars prove to be particularly popular among the country’s elderly, with a strong female target group. Despite being very compact, various kei cars are designed to fit the needs of persons with disabilities. The majority of such mini sized assisted-mobility vehicles are wheelchair accessible mini cars, allowing easy access via the vehicle’s rear end.