JAPAN DATA: New vehicle sales in Japan rose 23.5% in December from
a year earlier to 221,960 units, posting the fourth straight
year-on-year rise, data released by the Japan Automobile Dealers
Association on Thursday showed. In the whole of 2011, new vehicle sales
fell 16.7% to 2.69 million units, the first fall in two years, following
a 10.6% surge in 2010. Separately, the Japan Mini Vehicle Association
reported that domestic sales of new small vehicles (with engine
displacement of less than 660 cc) rose 17.6% y/y to 127,246 in November,
the third straight month of a year-on-year rise. In the calendar 2011,
new mini-vehicle sales fell 11.9% to 1.52 million units, marking the
first fall in two years,