TABLE-Japan non-mini auto sales down 22.3 pct in Dec

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), excluding the
Lexus brand, fell 17.1 percent, while Nissan Motor Co (7201.T)
fell 21.8 percent and Honda Motor Co (7267.T) 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) 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) 26,934 (-21.8) 537,553 (- 5.8)
Honda Motor (7267.T) 27,505 (-25.3) 423,628 (+ 6.4)
Mazda Motor (7261.T) 8,692 (-25.1) 187,233 (- 5.6)
Mitsubishi Motors (7211.T) 3,750 (-47.1) 66,014 (-21.8)
Suzuki Motor (7269.T) 4,652 (-15.0) 80,205 (+ 0.4)
Fuji Heavy (7270.T) 6,022 (-14.2) 85,050 (+ 0.3)
Daihatsu Motor (7262.T) 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.