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Global Production Increases at Four Japan Automakers

Global production rose at four of Japan's top automakers in January from a year ago, but the country's second largest automaker, Nissan, reported a decline, the automakers said Friday.

Global production rose at four of Japan's top automakers in January from a year ago, but the country's second largest automaker, Nissan, reported a decline, the automakers said Friday.

Toyota Motor Corp., the country's top and world's second biggest automaker after General Motors Corp., churned out 631,006 vehicles in January globally, up 13.6 percent from a year ago. Its domestic output rose 7.2 percent to 319,765 vehicles for a fifth consecutive month of rise, while overseas production jumped 20.9 percent to 311,241 units.

At Nissan Motor Co., global production fell 12.5 percent to 259,889 vehicles, with domestic production slumping a 27.8 percent while overseas output edging up 0.4 percent. Nissan's production in Japan dropped mainly because of reduced production of the Cube compact car and X-Trail and SUV models as well as pickup trucks for export, the Tokyo-based company said. In the United States, Nissan's production dropped 9.6 percent, with lower output of the Titan pickup trucks offsetting a rise in the Pathfinder SUV.

Honda Motor Co. reported a 3.9 percent rise in global production to 282,742 vehicles, as a 9.5 percent surge in overseas production offset a 4.9 percent slide in domestic output to 100,832 units. The Tokyo-based Honda's production abroad totaled 181,910 vehicles.

Global production at the Hiroshima-based Mazda Motor Corp. picked up 33.5 percent to 98,672 vehicles. Domestic production rose 34.6 percent to 71,700 vehicles, while overseas output picked up a 30.6 percent to 26,972. Mazda is 33 percent owned by U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co.

At Mitsubishi Motors Corp., worldwide production increased 4.7 percent to 106,749 vehicles in January. Domestic production rose 10.5 percent, offsetting a 0.9 percent fall in overseas output.

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