Domestic sales of new cars in Japan fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2008, the Japanese Auto Dealers Association said Monday. Sales for 2008, with 3,212,342 new vehicles sold, were 46 percent of the 5.98 million sold in the record-setting year of 1990, Kyodo News reported. Consumer sentiment cooled rapidly during the year, the association's director Takeshi Fushimi said.

Daihatsu Motor has announced that its subsidiary Daihatsu Motor Kyushu located in Nakatsu, in Japan's Oita prefecture, has completed the construction of the Kurume plant and has begun full-scale operations at the facility.

Daihatsu Motor has reported that the construction of second Oita plant of Daihatsu Motor Kyushu in Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture, Japan, has been completed and full-scale operations have begun.

Tokyo, Nov. 7 (Jiji Press)--Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday that it now expects to report a record group operating profit of 2.2 trillion yen for fiscal 2006, up from the earlier forecast 1.9 trillion yen, thanks to robust automobile sales in overseas markets.

By Kyodo News International, Tokyo Oct. 12--OITA -- Daihatsu Motor Co. said Thursday its auto production unit Daihatsu Motor Kyushu Co. will build its second plant by late 2007 to meet robust minivehicle sales.