TOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Automobile sales in Japan, excluding
660cc minivehicles, fell 22.3 percent in December from a year
earlier to 183,549 vehicles, the Japan Automobile Dealers
Association said on Monday.

Sales at top-ranked Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research), excluding the
Lexus brand, fell 17.1 percent, while Nissan Motor Co (7201.T: Quote, Profile, Research)
fell 21.8 percent and Honda Motor Co (7267.T: Quote, Profile, Research) slid 25.3 percent.

December marked the fifth successive month of year-on-year
decline.

For all of 2008, sales totalled 3,212,342 units, down 6.5
percent from a year earlier.

The following is a sales breakdown, with percentage changes
from a year earlier, for December and all of 2008:

DECEMBER JANUARY-DECEMBER
TOTAL 183,549 (-22.3) 3,212,342 (- 6.5)
Cars 158,785 (-22.8) 2,800,664 (- 5.2)
Trucks 23,887 (-19.6) 396,345 (-14.8)

DECEMBER JANUARY-DECEMBER
Toyota Motor (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) 77,157 (-17.8) 1,469,280 (- 7.4)

- Toyota brand 75,752 (-17.1) 1,443,335 (- 7.0)

- Lexus* 1,405 (-43.0) 25,945 (-25.5)
Nissan Motor (7201.T: Quote, Profile, Research) 26,934 (-21.8) 537,553 (- 5.8)
Honda Motor (7267.T: Quote, Profile, Research) 27,505 (-25.3) 423,628 (+ 6.4)
Mazda Motor (7261.T: Quote, Profile, Research) 8,692 (-25.1) 187,233 (- 5.6)
Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T: Quote, Profile, Research) 3,750 (-47.1) 66,014 (-21.8)
Suzuki Motor (7269.T: Quote, Profile, Research) 4,652 (-15.0) 80,205 (+ 0.4)
Fuji Heavy (7270.T: Quote, Profile, Research) 6,022 (-14.2) 85,050 (+ 0.3)
Daihatsu Motor (7262.T: Quote, Profile, Research) 573 (-18.6) 7,300 (-37.5)
Imports 18,913 (-30.2) 219,231 (-16.3)

*Lexus is the luxury brand of Toyota Motor. Sales in Japan
began on Aug. 30, 2005.