Toyota Prius Becomes 1st Hybrid to Top Japan Best-Seller List

Tokyo, July 6 (Jiji Press)--Toyota Motor Corp.'s <7203> Prius was
the best-selling automobile among all models including minivehicles in Japan
in June, becoming the first hybrid vehicle to win the title, industry data
showed Monday.

With its sales totaling 22,292 units, the Prius was also the first
nonminivehicle model to top the monthly best-seller list since December
2007, when Honda Motor Co.'s <7267> Fit subcompact car took the position,
according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.
The Prius drew brisk demand thanks to a subsidy program introduced
by the government recently to promote new auto purchases and tax breaks for
eco-friendly vehicles.
In May, the Prius was the best-selling model among automobiles with
engine displacements of over 660 c.c. and ranked third among all models
including minivehicles equipped with 600-c.c. or smaller engines.
The third-generation model of the Prius, launched on May 18, has
proved very popular partly because it is priced at a relatively reasonable
level of 2.05 million yen. Orders for the remodeled Prius have already
topped 200,000.
According to the JADA data, Suzuki Motor Corp.'s <7269> Wagon R and
Daihatsu Motor Co.'s <7262> Move, both minivehicles, came second and third,
respectively, in June. Sales totaled 16,185 units for the Wagon R and 14,935
units for the Move.
Daihatsu's Tanto, also a minivehicle, came fourth, with sales
reaching 13,243 units.
Honda's Insight hybrid ranked seventh with sales of 8,782 units.
In January-June, the Wagon R was the best-selling model with sales
of 111,599 units, followed by the Move with sales of 102,032 units and the
Tanto with sales of 80,425 units.
The Prius was fifth with sales of 51,410 units in the first half of
2009.