The FINANCIAL — Toyota Motor Corp.'s (7203) Prius hybrid topped the new car sales ranking for November that an automobile trade group released on December 6, according to Nikkei.com.
The Prius maintained its lead for the 18th straight month in the rankings, which include compact vehicles.
Honda Motor Co.'s (7267) new Fit, now widely being shipped, moved up to second from third place last month, narrowing the gap with the Prius.
Sales of the Prius fell 20.2% on the year to 21,400 vehicles.
New car sales have declined for three months since government subsidies for environmentally friendly vehicles ended. To deal with this trend, Toyota launched a modestly priced model that has supported its overall sales.
Sales of the second-ranked Fit dropped 2.9% to 16,677 vehicles, about 4,700 vehicles behind the Prius.
The new hybrid model Fit, launched in October, is selling well.
The Tanto, a compact car produced by Daihatsu Motor Co. (7262), ranked third with sales of 13,217 vehicles. Suzuki Motor Corp.'s (7269) compact Wagon R came fourth with sales of 12,881 vehicles, down two places from October.
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