IRVINE, Calif. –

The 2010 Kia Soul was among the five leading models that registered the highest month-over-month shopping activity gains in December, according to Kelley Blue Book.

Fuel efficiency evidently was a priority among consumers who went to Kelley Blue Book’s website in December to look for a used vehicle during their other holiday shopping excursions.

The leading vehicle segments and specific models all represented gas-sipping options for shoppers, according to KBB’s newest Blue Book Market Report — Used Car Edition.

Vehicle segments posting the largest month-over-month jumps in shopping activity included:

— Hybrid car: up 7.8 percent
— Subcompact car: up 6.3 percent
— Compact car: up 3.0 percent

Meanwhile, the five leading models that registered the highest month-over-month shopping activity gains in December fell into one of those vehicle segments. That group included:

— 2011 Mazda MAZDA2: up 64.9 percent
— 2008 Scion xD: up 44.5 percent
— 2010 Scion xB: up 40.1 percent
— 2010 Kia Soul: up 21.0 percent
— 2009 Toyota Prius: up 17.8 percent

The remaining five models included among the Top 10 gainers for December weren’t exactly gas-guzzlers, either. Those units were:

— 2008 Dodge Avenger: up 17.3 percent
— 2010 Honda Civic: up 8.9 percent
— 2010 Honda Accord: up 8.9 percent
— 2010 Toyota Prius: up 7.8 percent
— 2010 Ford Fusion: up 7.4 percent

According to KBB’s analysis, used-vehicle shoppers shied away from luxury models in December as many of the units that sustained the largest month-over-month declines were highline models. The entire contingent included:

— 2011 BMW 3 Series: down 7.9 percent
— 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee: down 11.3 percent
— 2011 Cadillac CTS: down 17.3 percent
— 2011 Volkswagen CC: down 19.6 percent
— 2008 BMW M3: down 20.1 percent
— 2007 Lexus GX: down 26.3 percent
— 2008 Infiniti QX: down 26.8 percent
— 2011 Lexus LS: down 29.5 percent
— 2008 Jaguar XK Series: 35.0 percent
— 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Regular Cab: down 35.2 percent