Honda Insight Hybrid Tops Japan Sales

Hybrid sales have adopted a continuously ascending trend ever since the beginning of the crisis and are now even exceeding passenger car sales in certain regions of the world. Such an example is Japan where Honda Insight has become the best-selling car among new vehicle registration for the month of April 2009, as its manufacturing company proudly announced in a statement.

Honda delivered a total of 10,481 hybrids last month and "it is the first time in history for a hybrid model to be the industry's best selling vehicle in Japan for any monthly sales period," as the Japanese manufacturer said.

"Since its introduction on February 6, 2009, the all-new Insight has been very well received by a wide range of customers due to its excellent environmental performance, easy-to-use packaging, light and comfortable driving and affordable pricing," it added.

The company sold a total of 4,906 units in February 2009, with a slight decrease in March 2008 to 4,088 units. However, sales were revamped in April when Honda delivered, just like we said, 10,481 units.

But Insight wasn't the only model produced by Honda that went well in the domestic market. According to the figures provided by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association, Fit "was the industry's best-selling car among new vehicle registration in Japan for calendar year 2008 and the fiscal year ended March 31, 2009". Furthermore, this particular model was the best-selling vehicle in March 2009, which makes this month the fourth consecutive since December 2008 when the Fit tops Japanese sales.

"It is the first time Honda has occupied the industry's top two best-selling car position," the Japanese automaker proudly noted in the press statement.