[AMERICA 123]

Here are the mini's - with 'chart' from Reuters.

TOKYO, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Japanese sales of minivehicles in
December fell 6.7 percent from a year earlier to 122,770 units,
the Japan Mini Vehicle Association said on Monday.

For the full year, sales fell 2.6 percent, down for a second
straight year. The industry group forecast 2009 sales to total
1.84 million vehicles, down 1.6 percent.

Sales of minivehicles, which have maximum engine
displacements of 660cc and account for roughly one-third of the
domestic auto market, for December and 2008 were as follows.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/market...T8946520090105

And with that, we now know that Lexus was also outperformed by all the mini's in regards to both December and for the full year in comparison to last year's results.

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Worth noting;

"We never imagined sales would fall this badly," JADA Director Takeshi Fushimi told reporters. "This is a bleak situation."

Fewer Japanese are buying cars every year as more people populate urban areas where trains and buses are the preferred mode of transportation. A shrinking population and diminishing interest in cars among young people are also driving down demand.

The weak economy is not helping, but Fushimi said a lack of financing was not behind the fall in Japan, unlike in many other markets, where sales have been hit by tight credit.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/govern...30253020090105