Maruti Suzuki has crossed the 1 lakh-unit cumulative export mark to Japan with the Jimny 5-door, Fronx and e Vitara. Japan ranked as the company’s second-largest export market by volume in FY 2025-26 and held the same position between April and August of FY 2026-27. The milestone also comes as Suzuki Motor Corporation ranks as Japan’s No. 1 vehicle importer.
The Fronx was the first of the three models to reach Japan, with exports starting in August 2024. The Jimny 5-door joined the programme in December 2024, and the e Vitara entered the export portfolio in September 2025 as Maruti Suzuki’s first battery electric vehicle. The Jimny 5-door and e Vitara are manufactured exclusively in India.
The three models also helped Suzuki secure the top position among vehicle importers in Japan during FY 2025-26. Vehicles manufactured by Maruti Suzuki accounted for nearly 100 per cent of Suzuki’s imports into Japan during the financial year. The result gives India a substantial manufacturing role in supplying imported Suzuki vehicles to the Japanese market.
Maruti Suzuki Managing Director and CEO Hisashi Takeuchi said the 1 lakh-unit export milestone represented recognition of India’s manufacturing capabilities. He also pointed to the evolution of the India-Japan automotive relationship, with Suzuki’s manufacturing investment in India now supporting vehicle exports back to its home market. Japan has consequently become one of Maruti Suzuki’s largest overseas destinations.
Maruti Suzuki’s overall export business now covers nearly 120 countries through Suzuki’s global network. The company held the No. 1 position among passenger vehicle exporters from India from FY 2021-22 through FY 2025-26. Between April and August of FY 2026-27, it shipped more than 1.8 lakh vehicles overseas.
The company currently accounts for more than 50 per cent of India’s passenger vehicle exports. The Japan milestone carries additional significance because two of the three models involved — the Jimny 5-door and e Vitara — are produced exclusively in India. Their inclusion in Suzuki’s Japanese portfolio gives Maruti Suzuki’s Indian plants responsibility for products sold in one of the world’s largest established automotive markets.
The combined 1 lakh-unit export figure for the Jimny, Fronx and e Vitara also shows how Japan has risen within Maruti Suzuki’s overseas business in a relatively short period. Fronx exports began only in August 2024, with the other two models added over the next 13 months. Maruti Suzuki now supplies more than half of India’s passenger vehicle exports, and Japan has become its second-largest destination by volume.
