Japan's domestic sales of new cars, trucks and buses increased 36.5 percent from a year earlier in December as government buying incentives boosted sales of fuel- efficient cars, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said on Tuesday.
Auto sales, which rose for the fifth consecutive month, totaled 250,474 vehicles in December, the association said.
Sales at top-ranked Toyota Motor Corp., excluding its premium Lexus line, jumped 52.4 percent and 115,467 vehicles were sold, while Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. sold 31,202 units, a rise of 15.8 percent. Sales of Honda Motor Co. Ltd. automobiles surged 79 percent, on year in December and 49,225 vehicles were sold.
Of all Japan's automakers, only Suzuki Motor Corp. posted a loss from a year earlier in December. Suzuki sold 3,781 units, a drop of 18.7 percent.
The figures do not include sales of mini cars or trucks with engine capacities of 660 cubic centimeters or less.
For the calendar year 2009, auto sales dropped 9.1 percent to 2. 92 million vehicles, marking the sixth straight year of decline.
Auto sales, as measured by government vehicle registrations, are a key economic indicator, since they are the first consumer spending figures
released each month.