The popular model in Japan are compact cars that are easy to drive on narrow road, have good fuel economy, and also with spacious interiors. However, in recent years, the number of units sold is gradually increasing on SUV which are suitable to be driven on roads which are in bad condition or snowy roads.
Today, we would like to introduce 5 of the best sales SUV model in 2017.
1st place: C-HR (Toyota Motor Corporation) 117,299 units
The car is designed based on the hybrid car "Prius" design, and made as a stylish coupe style SUV. There are two types of C-HR, one is FWD (Front Wheel Drive) of the hybrid power train with good fuel economy and AWD (4 wheel drive) with 1 to 2 liter turbo engine which is excellent in running on the snow road. C-HR gained high popularity immediately after it released in December 2016. Even though there are some weakness such as the smaller luggage compartment and the bad visibility, but the high fashionability seems to have exceeded its weakness.
2nd place: Vezel (Honda) 64,332 units
Vezel is a compact SUV that released in December 2013. In Asia it will be more familiar with the name "HR-V". There are two types of Vezel, one with good fuel efficiency of 1.5 liter hybrid, while another one with high output of 1.5 liter DOHC, and both can be selected for front wheel drive and 4 wheel drive. Even though the car is in coupe form, the interior can fit 5 adults easily, and a luggage compartment with a capacity of approximately 400 liters.
3rd place: Harrier (Toyota Motor Corporation) 58,732 units
Harrier is a medium size SUV car designed based on the "RAV 4" for the American market, with the tailor-made interior and exterior to the luxurious design to suit Japanese preference. The appearance is similar to previous generation of "Lexus RX", and the interior is also a Lexus-like design with intricate curved surfaces. A fuel-efficient hybrid, 2-liter turbo with a maximum output of 231hp, the cheap price with 2-liter natural air aspiration system, and the variations are the factors which boost the popularity of this model.
4th place: X-TRAIL (Nissan Motor) 49,873 units
X-TRAIL is sold under the name "Rogue" in United States, and it is a well-known model which could compete with Toyota "RAV 4" in compact SUV market (Equivalent to Japan’s medium car size). Normally in Japan, vehicles which are popular in United States are not accepted much by Japanese, but X-TRAIL is popular in Japan exceptionally. The major feature of this model is that it has a full-fledged AWD system "ALL MODE 4x4 i". The car is equipped with the equipment that can handle off road driving, and also comes with a descending brake for safely descending at a steep slop.
5th place: CX-5 (MAZDA) 41,622 units
It is a medium size SUV which was evolved to the 2nd generation model in February 2017. The greatest feature of this model is definitely the excellent high speed performance. The high speed driving stability on the highway and the winding road in the mountain region is the best among Japanese SUV in this class. It is the only SUV with less than 4,000,000 yen which can be selected with a turbo diesel engine with good fuel economy. The car engine has a maximum output of 175 horsepower, and is going to be upgraded to 190 horsepower in near future.
Special Introduction: Hustler (Suzuki) 72,600
In Japan, the statistics on sales volume is performed separately for ordinary passenger cars and mini car. There is a mini car which we could not miss out. The car is Suzuki's Hustler.
Suzuki’s Hustler is a mini car that released in January 2014. Suzuki has been selling the small cross country SUV "Jimny" that can be driven on rocky road and shallow rivers for about 40 years. Hustler is a model which is closer to a passenger car comparing with Jimny, but popularity has been rising due to the casual SUV brand image of Jimny's Suzuki. The sales volume has been achieved of more than 100,000 units by the year when it released, and the popularity is still as high as when it just released. The size is as small as 3.48 m in length, but the interior is very large and it is popular for its convenience.
Which model would you like to buy?
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