Sales of imported motor vehicles in January eked out a 2.7 percent rise from a year before to 15,773 units, the Japan Automobile Importers Association said Tuesday.
The figure includes 14,809 foreign-brand vehicles, up 4.1 percent, and 964 Japanese vehicles manufactured overseas, down 14.2 percent, it said.
By brand, Volkswagen took the largest share of the import market at 24.28 percent and sales of 3,829 units, up 30.1 percent. Mercedes-Benz came second with 21.91 percent and 3,456, up 1.7 percent, while BMW placed third at 9.27 percent and 1,462, down 3.5 percent.
Volvo grabbed fourth place at 6.95 percent and sales of 1,097 units, up 12.3 percent.
Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest carmaker whose models debuted in Japan late last year, showed up on the statistical table for the first time, with sales of 12 units.