The Toyota Motor hybrid model, Prius, was the top selling car in Japan in February, for a third straight month, according to figures released by Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association.
Toyota sold 19,010 Prius cars in February, 44.9 percent up from the same month in 2015.
The world’s largest automaker had launched the new 4th generation Prius in December, a car originally launched in 1997, prompting a jump in sales.
Data from vehicle distributor associations showed the second most-sold-car was Tanto by Toyota subsidiary Daihatsu, with 17,977 vehicles sold, a 0.1 percent year-on-year rise.
Six mini-cars, those with engine capacity lower than 660 cubic centimeters, figured among the ten top selling cars in the Asian country last month.
Among them is Honda Motor’s N-Box, which sold 17,897 units, 11.5 percent less than the same month of the previous year, and Nissan Motor’s Dayz, which stood at 16,439, a decline of 12.7 percent.
Mini-cars are a big hit in the Japanese market, owing to their low maintenance, higher fuel efficiency and smaller size.
Toyota’s Aqua, marketed as Prius C outside Japan, was in fifth spot with 14,010 units, although its sales fell 38.5 percent compared to the same time last year.
