Production and business activities of Daihatsu and Toyota vehicles are being resumed in the Vietnamese market and other Southeast Asian countries, based on the Daihatsu chassis platform.
On January 26, after receiving instructions from the Toyota Group and reporting to the management agencies of Vietnam, Toyota Vietnam (TMV) announced the delivery of Avanza Premio MT back to dealerships after a one-month interruption. The Avanza Premio MT model is confirmed to meet safety and environmental standards by an independent certification agency abroad.
Vietnam is the next Asian market to resume the business activities of Daihatsu or Toyota vehicles using the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA) platform. Similar to Vietnam, the affected models from the Daihatsu certification scandal do not affect the overall quality of the vehicles. This is the basis for many governments to allow Daihatsu and Toyota to resume production and sales.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the first country to allow Daihatsu and Toyota (using the DNGA platform developed by Daihatsu) to resume production and sales. The Indonesian government states that Daihatsu and Toyota vehicles still meet the standards before being sold in the market.
After Indonesia, Malaysia is the next country to grant licenses for the production and normal business of Daihatsu-related products. Daihatsu’s spokesperson on December 25, 2023, told Reuters that the company had resumed operations at two joint venture plants with Perodua in Malaysia after receiving approval from the country’s functional agency.
Veloz Cross and Avanza Premio in Vietnam
Daihatsu is a subsidiary brand of Toyota, established in 1907, and is one of the oldest internal combustion engine manufacturers in Japan. In 2016, Toyota completed the acquisition of all Daihatsu shares.
Daihatsu’s strengths are small, affordable, durable, fuel-efficient vehicles that belong to the entry-level group for first-time car owners. By the end of 2023, Daihatsu was the best-selling brand in the small car segment in Japan, with a market share of 32.4%. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia are the two countries with the highest Daihatsu sales. In the Indonesian market in 2023, Daihatsu achieved sales of more than 18,000 vehicles, accounting for about 18.7% of the overall market share, ranking second only to Toyota (336,777 vehicles and 33.5% market share), according to Marklines.
In Vietnam, Daihatsu’s situation also affected Toyota’s production activities, but to a lesser extent. According to the announcement from the Toyota Group, Avanza MT is the only model affected in Vietnam.
Specifically, the Toyota Avanza MT (using the Daihatsu chassis) was found to have abnormal changes in the vehicle certification procedures, with a flat plate attached to the rear windscreen position increasing wind resistance. This change led to deviations in emission testing results and fuel consumption outside the country, but did not affect the technical safety of the vehicle. In addition, each product when exported to other countries had to undergo testing in their home country. Avanza Premio MT has been certified by the Vietnam Register to have been tested and meet quality standards. Therefore, customers can use it with confidence.
Toyota Vietnam resumes delivery of Avanza Premio MT to dealerships from January 26, 2024
After identifying the issue, Daihatsu Japan proactively conducted internal technical inspections and tests for the detected abnormal model under the supervision of an independent testing and certification agency and received confirmation from a third-party independent commission that all criteria met the standards.
However, Toyota Vietnam still proactively suspended the delivery of Avanza Premio MT to dealerships from December 21, 2023, to await instructions from the Toyota Group, as the certification of this model abroad is being examined by independent testing and certification agencies. After receiving instructions from the Toyota Group and reporting to the management agencies of Vietnam, Toyota Vietnam resumes the delivery of Avanza Premio MT to dealerships from January 26, 2024. The Avanza Premio MT model is confirmed to meet safety and environmental standards by an independent certification agency abroad.
Globally, the Toyota Group stated that it would provide comprehensive support to Daihatsu, not only reviewing the approval process to prevent similar incidents from recurring, but also strongly realigning corporate culture and management. The goal is to improve specific measures to prevent reoccurrence and report the results in February 2024.
TH (Tuoitrethudo)