TOKYO, Feb. 6 (Kyodo) — Toyota Motor Corp.’s Aqua hybrid sedan sold 22,466 units in Japan in January, up 66.6 percent from a year earlier, remaining the nation’s best-selling car for the fourth straight month, industry bodies said Wednesday.
Ranking second was Honda Motor Co.’s N Box minicar, whose sales jumped 2.1-fold to 20,552 units, said the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association.
The Prius, another Toyota hybrid sedan, ranked third with sales at 17,733 units, down 39.1 percent.
Small cars and minivehicles, which are cheaper and have lower maintenance costs, sold well in the month, when overall new vehicle sales were sluggish due to last September’s termination of government subsidies for purchases of eco-friendly vehicles.
Minivehicles with engines of no more than 660 cc accounted for six of the 10 best-selling vehicles in the month.
The fourth best-seller in January was Daihatsu Motor Co.’s Move minicar, boosting sales 22.5 percent after December’s launch of an improved version.
Nissan Motor Co.’s Note came to fifth place with sales tripling, following its full changeover last September.
