Toyota Prius tops Japan's car sales second straight month

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius hybrid topped Japan's new car sales ranking for the second straight month in June, data released by industry bodies showed Thursday. But sales of the Prius slid 23.4 percent year-on-year to 21,809 units last month, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Mini Vehicles Association. Toyota's Aqua hybrid came in second with sales falling 19.1 percent to 20, 294 units, followed by Daihatsu Motor Co.'s Move minivehicle with 18,179 units, up 21.4 percent. Six of the top 10 models were minicars with engines no larger than 660 cc, reflecting interest among consumers in its fuel efficiency and affordable price. Japan's new car sales fell 10.8 percent in June, as the expiry of government subsidy program for the purchase of fuel-efficient cars in September sapped consumer demand. Prius was also the best-selling car of the first half of 2013.