Suzuki Motor Corporation has become Japan’s top car importer, surpassing Mercedes-Benz, by bringing in 4,780 vehicles from India in June 2025.

This is a dramatic 230-fold increase from the previous year, according to official data from the Japan Automobile Importers Association. The main driver is the Jimny Nomad, a five-door SUV built in India.

Suzuki received around 50,000 pre-orders in just four days after its April launch, far above the company’s original sales target. At ¥2.65 million (about $18,300), the Jimny Nomad is affordable for many Japanese buyers.

This is largely due to India’s lower production and labor costs, which are about 30% less than in Japan. India’s exports of vehicles to Japan reached $616 million in the first three quarters of the 2024-25 fiscal year, up from $220 million the year before.

This growth puts India among Japan’s top five car import sources for the first time. Suzuki’s Indian subsidiary, Maruti Suzuki, leads these exports, with the Jimny and Fronx models in high demand.

India Becomes Key Supplier as Suzuki Tops Japan’s Import Charts. (Photo Internet reproduction)

Japanese consumers have shown they care more about price and features than where a car is made. Suzuki’s success shows that if a car is good and affordable, buyers will choose it, even if it is made overseas.

Other Japanese brands are following this trend. Honda imported over 45,000 units of its Elevate SUV, made in India, to Japan last year. American carmakers, however, still struggle in Japan because their models do not fit local tastes.

Suzuki plans to boost production of the Jimny Nomad in India to meet demand. The company expects India’s car market to reach 20 million units a year by 2047 and aims for Maruti Suzuki to hold half of that market by 2030.

Suzuki is also preparing to export electric vehicles from India to Japan. This shift shows how Japanese automakers now rely on India for affordable, high-quality cars. The numbers and facts in this story come from official industry and government sources.