NAGOYA - Suzuki Motor Corp. overtook Honda Motor Co. to rank second among Japanese automakers in global vehicle sales in the April-September period, behind Toyota Motor Corp., according to data released Thursday by the country's eight major automakers.
Toyota, the world's largest automaker by sales volume, reported its first fiscal first-half declines in global sales and production in two years amid weaker demand in China. Sales, including Lexus vehicles, fell 4.0 percent to 5,059,014 units, while production dropped 1.9 percent to 4,895,406.
Suzuki's climb from fourth place a year earlier comes amid stronger sales in India.
The eight automakers sold a combined 11.83 million vehicles worldwide, down 1.3 percent from a year earlier. Honda and Nissan Motor Co., which is trying to turn its business around, saw declines.
Higher gasoline prices amid the Middle East crisis accelerated the growth of electric vehicle sales in China, where Toyota and other Japanese automakers faced stiff competition from local companies. Toyota's sales there plunged 25.1 percent.
The company's overseas sales in the six-month period slipped 6.5 percent to 4,256,216 units, and production outside Japan declined 5.6 percent to 3,215,352 vehicles.
Supported by solid demand for hybrid vehicles, sales in North America rose 1.8 percent during the first half of the business year, while those in Europe went up 1.4 percent.
