Jeeps Tops American Car Brands in Japan

By Detroit Steel - October 13, 2017

FCA pushes to make the iconic nameplate even bigger abroad. Will the automaker succeed?

It looks like we can add Japan to the growing list of Jeep fans. The beloved nameplate now ranks as the most popular American car brand in the country, according to Automotive News.

The exact numbers? Well, they’re a far cry from the 70,000+ units sold per month here in the U.S. However, given the stigma of American vehicles in Japan, the stats are still pretty commendable. As of August, the total number of Jeeps sold was 6,344 units. On a larger scale, 2017 will mark the eighth consecutive year of sales growth for Jeep in Japan.

Still not impressed? Then maybe the stats for Chevy, the next best-selling American nameplate in Japan, will help drive the point home. Over the same eight-month period, the bowtie brand only sold 373 vehicles in Japan. That puts Jeep nearly 6,000 units ahead of its closest American competitor in the market.

Among all the car brands imported to Japan, Jeep now ranks seventh on the list. The country’s two most popular Jeeps are the Renegade and the Wrangler. In fact, Japan is actually the fourth largest market for Jeep’s most iconic off-roader, the legendary Wrangler.

Jeep’s goal is to sell even more vehicles in Japan. However, the strategy probably wouldn’t go over well with diehard fans in the U.S., namely because it involves playing down the history of the nameplate.

“It’s more about the brand and less about the origin,” FCA Japan CEO Pontus Haggstrom tells Automotive News, speaking about the future marketing plans for Jeep in Japan.

Nope, that wouldn’t sit well at all with Jeep enthusiasts here in the states. After all, history is a major part of the nameplate’s appeal in America.