Domestic sales of new motor vehicles, excluding minicars, rose 1.5 percent in 2003 to 4.03 million units, the first year-on-year increase in three years, the Japan Automobile Dealers Association said Monday.

The increase was attributed to special demand for new vehicles among truck and bus users looking to clear tough regulations on diesel exhaust gas emissions that took effect in October.

In particular, sales of larger trucks, with a load capacity of 3 tons or more, surged 47.1 percent to 111,857 units, exceeding the 100,000-unit level for the first time in six years.

By category, car sales totaled 3.17 million units, up 1.1 percent, truck sales totaled 837,864 units, up 2.7 percent, and bus sales totaled 21,256 units, up 29.9 percent.

By maker, Toyota Motor Corp. saw its sales rise 1.8 percent to 1.71 million units. It remained the top seller.

Nissan Motor Co. came in second with 781,292 units, up 6 percent from the previous year.

Honda Motor Corp. came third with 460,037 units, though its sales fell 23.9 percent from the previous year, the first decline in four years.

In December alone, overall sales came to 295,372 units, down 1.9 percent for a second consecutive year-on-year fall, the association said.