Toyota Prius tops monthly auto sales in Japan

TOKYO – Toyota's Prius was ranked the No. 1 selling vehicle in Japan for May, clinching the top spot in the domestic market for the first time.

The revamped Prius debuted last month. Toyota Motor Corp. sold 10,915 of the hybrid cars in May in Japan, more than a five-fold increase from the previous month, according to data released Thursday by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

Honda's new hybrid, the Insight, slipped to third place with 8,183 units sold after nabbing the top spot in April.

That means for the second straight month, a hybrid car — powered by gasoline and electricity — topped the sales rankings in Japan amid the growing popularity of green cars.

A government tax break for environment-friendly cars in Japan also has helped.