Auto Sales Drop 16% in Japan

Deliveries of standard size cars trucks and buses in Japan slid to 420,100 vehicles in March from 497,700 units a year earlier, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Assn.

March marks the seventh consecutive month of year-over-year declines. Those figures exclude minivehicles, which are powered by engines displacing 660 cc or less.

The country's passenger vehicle volume last month fell 17% to 369,700 units. Sales dropped at Honda (-36% to 42,900 vehicles), Nissan (-17% to 67,800 units) and Toyota (-16% to 189,200 units).

Truck and bus volume shrank 7% to 48,300 units and 17% to 2,100 units, respectively.

For the fiscal year ended March 31, sales of standard size passenger and commercial vehicles in Japan rose 6% to 3.24 million units. Demand was boosted in the April-September period by government subsidies on the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles.