TOKYO, (Kyodo) -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s Aqua hybrid hatchback remained Japan's best-selling car in February for the fifth straight month, selling 24,526 units, up 11.7 percent from a year earlier, industry bodies said Wednesday.
Ranking second was the same maker's Prius hybrid hatchback with sales of 23,473 units, down 34.6 percent, followed by Honda Motor Co.'s N Box minicar with sales coming to 22,353 units, up 8.8 percent, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association. N Box fell from the previous month's second place.
Small cars and minivehicles, which are cheaper and have lower maintenance costs, sold well in the reporting month, when overall new vehicle sales were anemic due to last September's termination of government subsidies for purchases of eco-friendly vehicles.
Fourth place went to Daihatsu Motor Co.'s Move minicar and Suzuki Motor Corp.'s Wagon R minicar was fifth.
Minivehicles with engines of up to 660 cc accounted for five of the 10 best-selling vehicles in the month.
The Serena minivan of Nissan Motor Co., fitted with a simple hybrid propulsion system, made its way into the top-10 list with sales at 11,148 units, up 5.6 percent.
