The Japanese experience with mini‐cars

Despite the early appeal of the light vehicle, increases in the average annual income have allowed consumers to consider a broader range of vehicles so that the negative aspects of mini‐vehicles such as higher noise and vibration levels, the lack of horsepower and instability in certain driving conditions have made light vehicles less tolerable. The “oil shock” shattered economic projections, and people began to acknowledge that living in a world with limited resources was a harsh reality. Concurrently, congestion increased dramatically in urban areas as a result of the popularity of automobiles, and producers made a number of design changes to improve the safety and comfort limitations of light vehicles. Thus, in a world where fuel economy and ease of use gained a greater meaning, light vehicles slowly regained their original appeal.

Light vehicles may play a greater role in the future. Studies indicate that light vehicles tend to be driven by females and elderly people and current trends indicate that the number of female drivers is increasing and that the average age of the Japanese population is getting higher. Furthermore, migration patterns indicate that a greater number of people are moving to smaller cities and their outlying areas as a result of national decentralization policies. The migration pattern may popularize light vehicles because vehicle ownership rates are higher in these areas than in larger cities. Another development which may increase the popularity of light vehicles is that more families are owning more than one car and light vehicles are popular as second vehicles. Moreover, the prospects of low economic growth have tempered the importance of comfortable amenities, and the virtues of maneuverability and fuel economy have become more important.