Japanese mini-car owners increasingly value fuel efficiency

In Japan, six of every 10 buyers of new mini vehicles purchased them because of fuel efficiency, according to an industry survey for Fiscal 2009. The survey of 3,031 households and business establishments owning vehicles with engine displacements of up to 600 cc found that 61% of them opted for mini cars, taking their fuel efficiency into account, up 8 percentage points from the previous Fiscal 2007 survey, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) said. The ratio was up from 47% in Fiscal 2003 and 52% in Fiscal 2005, said the association that conducted the multiple response survey in the month from mid-May last year. (April 8, 2010)