TOKYO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- Hybrid cars, which use both gasoline and electricity, continued to dominate Japan's auto making sector, according to statistics released by the Japan Automobile Dealers Association (JADA) on Tuesday.

    For a third consecutive month, the Toyota Prius was the most popular car in the country, selling 31,758 units in September and 116,298 units in the first half of the year. Sales of the Prius for the last quarter were more than three times higher than in the same period last year.

    Meanwhile, Honda's Fit, a people carrier, remained in second place for the third consecutive month, selling 17,241 units in August and 76,489 units in the first half of the year. On a year-on-year basis, the Fit's sales were down 10.5 percent from 2008. Honda has announced that it intends to release a hybrid version of the Fit in autumn next year, which could lead to a boost in its sales.

    Another Honda car, its hybrid Insight, was third in half-year sales, moving 55,845 units between April and September.

    As concerns about the environment grow, the market for fuel efficient and environmentally friendly cars has grown in Japan and is likely to dominate the market over the next few years.

    Another report released by JADA on Tuesday, however, spelled bad news for all Japanese automakers, with all companies posting a decline in sales compared with last year.

    Toyota's sales were down 17 percent, Honda's 8.7 percent, while Nissan's declined by 17.6 percent and Mazda's by 21.7 percent.