Japan's second-tier carmakers see Q1 profit jump on US sales

Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of the Subaru cars, booked its highest ever first-quarter operating profit of 78.7 billion yen (US$765mil), up 13%, while Mazda's Q1 operating profit rose 54.4% on-year to 56.4 billion yen (US$549.1mil) - EPA Photo.

TOKYO: Japan's second-tier automakers Mazda Motor Corp and Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd posted double-digit profit growth in April-June helped by strong sales in the US, their biggest market.

Mazda's US sales jumped 18%, helped by the launch of its remodelled Mazda3, while Fuji Heavy, the maker of Subaru brand cars, increased its US market share in the first half of the year, thanks to the popularity of its Forester compact SUV.