Honda Insight Becomes First Hybrid to Rank as Best-Selling Vehicle in Japan

 Honda Insight Becomes First Hybrid to Rank as Best-Selling Vehicle in Japan
2010 Honda Insight (JDM)

Honda sold 10,481 units of the Insight hybrid vehicle in Japan for the month of April

Some good news for Honda and for hybrid fans too. The Honda Insight was the number one selling vehicle for the month of April in Japan.

According to sales figures from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, Honda sold 10,481 units of the Insight last month alone. The new Honda Insight was released in February 2009 in Japan. It was the first time ever that a hybrid car held the lead in Japanese monthly sales.

And Honda is doing well overall in Japan, with its Fit being the best-selling vehicle for 2008 and still going strong this year, topping sales for March and coming in second to the Insight for April.

Still, with falling auto sales in the US (including hybrids), a key market for hybrid vehicles, and US gas prices at very consumer-friendly low-levels, it will be a struggle for Honda, or any automaker with a hybrid on the market, to achieve the same thing in the United States. And Europe too will prove to be a challenge, given the market power of diesels in the largest markets there such as German, France and Italy.

 

Source: Honda

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. today announced that Insight ranked as the industry's best-selling car among new vehicle registrations* in Japan for the month of April 2009, with sales of 10,481 units (source: Japan Automobile Dealers Association). It is the first time in history for a hybrid model to be the industry's best selling vehicle in Japan for any monthly sales period.

Fit was the industry's best-selling car among new vehicle registrations in Japan for calendar year 2008 and the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009. Fit was also the industry's best-selling car for the month of March 2009, for the fourth consecutive month since December 2008, until it was displaced by Insight to become the industry's second best-selling car in April 2009, with sales of 9,443 units. It is the first time Honda has occupied the industry's top two best-selling car positions.

Since its introduction on February 6, 2009, the all-new Insight has been very well received by a wide range of customers due to its excellent environmental performance, easy-to-use packaging, light and comfortable driving and affordable pricing.

* excluding mini-vehicles - under 660cc

Insight sales in Japan (source: Japan Automobile Dealers Association)
Sales of Insight was announced February 5, 2009, and began February 6, 2009

Sales Results
(since sales start)
Monthly ranking among new vehicle registrations in Japan
February 2009 Sales Result 4,906 units 10th
March 2009 Sales Result 4,088 units 21st
April 2009 Sales Result 10,481 units 1st

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 Hardboy997 Hardboy997
I like it. Good looking car, hybrid and cheap. Well done Honda!
May 11, 2009 12:17 pm
 9TNine 9TNine
Heard reports that it is doing well in Europe too. Wonder how it's doing in the USA?
May 11, 2009 2:52 pm
 N20_Purge N20_Purge
Does this mean Japanese people hate the Prius too? If so, I love them! I kinda like this new Insight. It has an aerodynamic shape, and the design is acceptable!
May 11, 2009 3:04 pm
 Renegade Renegade
Umm...Yeah, nice, but what about the NSX and S2000?
May 11, 2009 3:14 pm
 N20_Purge N20_Purge
A S2k and NSX as best selling vehicles? Oh my God, if that was true, I'd move there right now!
May 11, 2009 4:13 pm
 Renegade Renegade
LoL. I didn't say that, I said that the success of the Insight is nice, but the people, you, me, all of us want to see new gen NSX and S2000(S3000?) on the road.
May 11, 2009 4:23 pm
 N20_Purge N20_Purge
Oh why didn't you say so? Talking about those two cars in this topic would make people think about the numbers of them sold in Japan too, lol.
May 11, 2009 5:00 pm
 WildMaverick1200 WildMaverick1200
This car is boring all right, but it is a million times better-looking than the fugly Prius.
May 11, 2009 11:47 pm
 AfterDawn AfterDawn
So is it akin to saying a wart is a million times better looking than an ulcer?
May 12, 2009 4:21 pm