Hot from Japan: Land Cruiser sales nearly double as N-BOX and Yaris stay on top

What are Japanese buyers actually choosing? On 6 October 2026, Japan's two car sales bodies released the best-sellers for April to September 2026, the first half of Japan's financial year. The registered-car figures come from the Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JADA) and the kei-car figures from the Zenkeijikyo association. The full tables were published by Car Watch.

Toyota owns the top 10

Among regular (non-kei) passenger cars, Toyota took nine of the top ten places:

1. Toyota Yaris – 74,143
2. Toyota Corolla – 61,840
3. Toyota Sienta – 61,471 (up 31.3%)
4. Toyota Raize – 59,293
5. Toyota Roomy – 55,046
6. Toyota Alphard – 44,412
7. Toyota Land Cruiser – 42,725 (up 93.8%)
8. Honda Freed – 41,396
9. Toyota Voxy – 40,612
10. Toyota Noah – 37,802

The Honda Freed was the only non-Toyota in the list.

The Land Cruiser surge

The standout number is the Land Cruiser. Sales were up 93.8% on the same period a year earlier, close to double. That lifted it to seventh place, ahead of the Voxy and Noah family vans.

The rise comes after Toyota added a fourth Land Cruiser line in Japan. The compact Land Cruiser FJ went on sale in Japan on 14 May 2026, joining the 300, 250 and 70 series. Toyota set a base sales target of 1,300 FJs a month in Japan. The FJ has a ladder frame and a 2.7-litre petrol engine (120 kW, 246 Nm) with a six-speed automatic and part-time four-wheel drive. It is 4,575 mm long, 350 mm shorter than the 250 series. The published ranking gives one figure for the Land Cruiser name and does not split it by series, so we cannot say exactly how much of the rise came from the FJ.

Kei cars: N-BOX still king

Kei cars are Japan's tiny cars, limited to 660 cc engines. The top five were:

1. Honda N-BOX – 101,564 (up 3.7%)
2. Suzuki Spacia – 80,296
3. Daihatsu Tanto – 55,607
4. Daihatsu Move – 53,142
5. Nissan Roox – 46,055 (up 56.5%)

The N-BOX was the only model in either list to pass 100,000 sales. The Nissan Roox grew the fastest of the top ten kei cars.

What it means for buyers in Kenya

Japan's new-car sales today shape Kenya's used-import market in the years ahead. Popular models produce more cars at Japanese auctions later, which usually means more choice. Many names on the list, such as the Sienta, Raize, Noah, Voxy, Alphard and Land Cruiser, are already familiar on Kenyan roads. Japan drives on the left, as Kenya does, so its cars are right-hand drive. Remember that Kenya only allows used imports up to eight years old, and duty depends on engine size and fuel type. A 2.7-litre Land Cruiser FJ, for example, falls into a different band from a 1.5-litre Yaris. To estimate costs before you import, try our import calculator.

Photo: Toyota Motor Corporation (Land Cruiser FJ)