TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius hybrid was the top-selling car in Japan in September for the 16th straight month, selling 22,091 units, industry bodies said Thursday.
But sales logged a 33.5 percent plunge from a year earlier due mainly to the termination in September of the government subsidy program for the purchase of environmentally friendly vehicles.
The ranking data were compiled by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association.
The Prius was the best-selling car also in the first half of fiscal 2012, selling 150,468 units in the April-September period.
Another Toyota hybrid, the Aqua, came second with sales of 22,039 units in September.
Suzuki Motor Corp.'s Wagon R came third, returning to the position of the best-selling model among minivehicles for the first time in a year. Among the top 10 sellers, six were minicars with engines no larger than 660 cc.
Nissan Motor Co.'s fully-remodeled Note compact car came fifth, while Honda Motor Co.'s Fit compact ranked eighth.
