Nissan’s Note e-Power hybrid has become a hit in Japan after being the country's top selling car in two of the past four months, challenging the long-standing dominance of domestic rival Toyota’s Prius. The Prius has dominated Japan’s sales charts for at least the past five years, while the gasoline-powered Note was an also-ran until November when the hybrid Note e-Power launched. Prius sales were 16% lower in February from a year earlier. That contrasts with the U.S., where auto sales are dominated by beefy, profitable trucks and sport-utility vehicles—and where Prius sales have faltered due to low gas prices. A Nissan Note e-Power hybrid car at a company showroom in Tokyo on Feb. 8.

Source: Wall Street Journal March 07, 2017 09:00 UTC