Toyota Motor Corp.'s Aqua hybrid topped Japan's new car sales ranking in October for the first time in two months, data released by industry bodies showed Friday.
However, sales of the Aqua fell 9.8 percent from a year earlier to 18,031 units last month, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association.
The Toyota Prius c (c stands for "city"), named the Toyota Aqua in Japan, is a full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact hatchback produced by Toyota Motor Corporation. The Aqua was launched in Japan in December 2011 at a price of USD 21,700. It considered the most successful nameplate launch in Japan in the last 20 years.
Daihatsu Motor Co.'s Tanto minivehicle came in second with sales jumping almost three times to 16,237 units, followed by Honda Motor Co.'s N-Box minivehicle, down 20.5 percent to 13,988 units.
Six of the top 10 models were minicars with engines no larger than 660 cc, which boast of their fuel efficiency and affordable price. Japan is the world's third-biggest vehicle market after China and the US. The country's overall domestic sales of new vehicles fell 6.0 percent year-on-year in October for the fourth consecutive month of decline, apparently due to the consumption tax hike in April.