Japan's sales of new imported vehicles dived 37.2 percent year-on-year to 8,915 units in January, said the Japan Automobile Importers Association on Thursday.

The sales, including those of Japanese brands manufactured abroad, saw a ninth consecutive monthly fall, which the trade body attributed to the deteriorating economy amid the ongoing global financial crisis.

Foreign-brand vehicles sold in Japan plummeted 34.3 percent to 7,657 units while sales of Japanese cars nosedived 50.2 percent to 1,258 units, said the association.

In terms of manufacturers, Volkswagen ranked No. 1 with sales of 1,872 units, followed by Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2009)