Suzuki Overtakes Nissan in 2025 Global Sales, Securing Japan's Third Position

Suzuki Motor Corporation officially secured the position of Japan's third-largest automaker by global vehicle sales for the 2025 calendar year, according to figures released in January 2026. This development marks the first time in over a decade that Suzuki has surpassed Nissan Motor Co. in annual worldwide sales figures, signaling a significant realignment within the domestic automotive hierarchy.

Suzuki reported a modest 1.4% year-on-year increase in its global sales volume, reaching approximately 3.3 million vehicles delivered internationally. In contrast, Nissan Motor Co. recorded a contraction, with global sales declining by 4.4% to settle at 3.2 million units. Both manufacturers remain substantially behind segment leader Toyota, which announced record global sales of 10.5 million vehicles for the same period. Honda also experienced a downturn, with sales slipping 7.5% to 3.5 million units.

The primary factor driving Suzuki's ascent is its strategic focus on high-volume, cost-sensitive emerging economies, largely through its alliance with Maruti Suzuki India. This subsidiary recently announced its highest-ever nine-month sales volume and net sales for the period spanning April to December of Fiscal Year 2025-26. The strong performance, which included quarterly domestic sales of 564,669 units in Q3 FY2025-26, was significantly bolstered by a market recovery in the small car segment following adjustments to Goods and Services Tax (GST) reforms.

Nissan's performance challenges appear linked to difficulties in mature markets and intense competitive pressure within the People's Republic of China, where its sales decreased by 6.3% year-on-year throughout 2025. This sales slump coincides with Nissan's active implementation of the comprehensive 'Re:Nissan' restructuring plan, which targets a total reduction of 250 billion yen in variable costs by Fiscal Year 2026 compared to FY24 levels. The plan, overseen by CEO Ivan Espinosa, also involves consolidating 17 global production plants down to 10 by fiscal year 2027 in an effort to restore profitability by FY2026.

Suzuki's 2025 success highlights the quantifiable results achieved by maximizing market share through affordable technology in high-growth regions, contrasting with Nissan's capital-intensive technological pivot. Domestically, the Japanese vehicle market expanded by 3.3% in total new motorized vehicle registrations in 2025, reaching 4,565,777 units. Within Japan, Toyota remained the top manufacturer, but Suzuki advanced to the second spot, followed by Honda, while Nissan was noted as the worst-performing top-ten brand for the year.