TOKYO — If import manufacturers are serious about selling cars in Japan, they need to do it the old-fashioned way, said Till Scheer, president of Volkswagen Group's Japanese unit — through hard work.
Volkswagen is one of the few foreign brands that has made solid inroads into a market brought under renewed scrutiny by the tough trade talk of U.S. President Donald Trump.
But the accusation of nontariff trade barriers is a nonissue in Japan for VW, Scheer said.
He said VW has managed by delivering cars that Japanese want, spending the time and money on an extensive dealer network and consistently updating the product portfolio.
But are nontariff barriers blocking market access?
"It is fine as we have it today," Scheer said. "For many, many years it has been solved, and we have cars in here like in any other country. There is, for us, currently nothing to look at."
Scheer's comments came shortly after Trump raised eyebrows by claiming Japanese customs officials subject import brands to a "bowling ball test." In that evaluation, Trump said, they drop a bowling ball onto the car to determine whether it passes inspection.
The White House later downplayed Trump's allegation as a joke.
Scheer said sales aren't easy in Japan but they are there for the taking.
Speaking at the March launch for the new VW Polo small car, Scheer said his company is amid a multiyear product blitz, a key to success in novelty-crazed Japan.
Last year, VW introduced new or freshened versions of the Tiguan, Up and Golf. It also introduced the Arteon high-end sedan and e-Golf electric variant. The rollout continues this year with the Polo, Passat TDI and more GTI and TDI variants of existing nameplates.
VW sales in Japan climbed 3.8 percent last year to nearly 50,000 cars. By comparison, Chevrolet and Cadillac combined sold only 1,228 vehicles in 2017.
VW sales were down 7.8 percent to 6,740 in the first two months of 2018, but Scheer expects new product to turn that around. Since opening presales of the Polo in March, VW has received 1,000 orders. It has sold 1,000 Arteons since putting it in showrooms last fall.
Scheer also touted VW's network of 251 sales outlets in Japan as a potent tool. By contrast, when Ford decided to pull out of Japan in 2016, it had only 52 dealerships.
"What is very important is that we listen to the customers. We bring the cars to the country of Japan that are needed," Scheer said. "Otherwise, you will be very limited."
