TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp.’s Yaris was the best-selling new vehicle model in Japan in 2021, grabbing the top post in the yearly ranking for the first time, industry data showed Tuesday.

Annual sales of the subcompact, which hit the market in February 2020, grew 40.3 pct from the previous year to 212,927 units.

The Yaris was the first Toyota vehicle to take the top spot in annual sales since the Prius hybrid in 2016, helped by the popularity of the Yaris Cross, an SUV variant.

Honda Motor Co.’s N-Box came second, with sales of 188,940 units. Including the N-Box, five models among the top 10 were minivehicles, the category of vehicles with engine displacement of up to 660 cc.

In December 2021, the Yaris returned to the top spot in the monthly sales ranking for the first time in two months, at 16,907 units.

The N-Box placed second, with 13,439 units, and Toyota’s Corolla sedan came third, with 11,841 units.

The sales data were released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association and the Japan Light Motor Vehicle and Motorcycle Association.

JIJI Press