TABLE-Japan non-mini auto sales +36.5 pct in December

TOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Automobile sales in Japan, excluding
660cc minivehicles, rose 36.5 percent in December from a year
earlier to 250,474 vehicles, the Japan Automobile Dealers
Association said on Tuesday.

Sales at top-ranked Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), excluding the
Lexus brand, rose 52.4 percent, while Nissan Motor Co (7201.T)
rose 15.8 percent and Honda Motor Co (7267.T) gained 79 percent.

For all of 2009, sales totalled 2,921,085 units, down 9.1
percent from a year earlier.

The following is a sales breakdown, with percentage changes
from a year earlier, for December:
TOTAL 250,474 (+36.5)
Cars 230,316 (+45.0)
Trucks 19,392 (-18.8)
Toyota Motor (7203.T) 119,316 (+54.6)

- Toyota brand 115,467 (+52.4)

- Lexus* 3,849 (+174.0)
Nissan Motor (7201.T) 31,202 (+15.8)
Honda Motor (7267.T) 49,225 (+79.0)
Mazda Motor (7261.T) 9,556 (+9.9)
Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T) 4,326 (+15.4)
Suzuki Motor (7269.T) 3,781 (-18.7)
Fuji Heavy (7270.T) 6,659 (+10.6)
Imports 19,881 (+5.1)

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