Japanese Pick-up Trucks Face Challenges in the Vietnamese Auto Market

The Mazda BT-50 has only sold 5 units since the beginning of the year. Photo: Mazda.

In the current Vietnamese automotive market, the popular pickup truck segment
includes models such as the Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda BT-50, Toyota
Hilux, and Isuzu D-Max, alongside the Nissan Navara, for which sales figures are
not disclosed by the manufacturer.

Among these competitors, the Ford Ranger dominates the sales charts, having sold
3,562 units in the first three months of the year, which translates to a
remarkable 87% market share in the pickup truck segment in Vietnam.

The Ford Ranger’s supremacy poses a significant challenge to its rivals within
the same segment, notably the Toyota Hilux and Mazda BT-50.

Japanese Pickups Struggle with Sales

In the last two months, the Mazda BT-50 has not registered any sales across
Vietnam. The meager sales figure of 5 units in the initial report for the year
reflects the model’s overall performance in the Vietnamese market during the first
quarter.

At the moment, Thaco has removed the Mazda BT-50 from the brand’s vehicle lineup
in the Vietnamese market. Information about this pickup truck is no longer
available on the company’s website, and dealers indicate that the available stock
is limited.

In a conversation with Tri thức – Znews, a sales consultant at a
Kia-Mazda dealership in Ho Chi Minh City revealed that they no longer have any
BT-50 units in stock.

“Many dealerships are only selling the remaining inventory of the Mazda BT-50
and awaiting the arrival of the new model. The factory is no longer producing
this particular model,” the consultant explained.

At another dealership, a sales representative disclosed that the stock of Mazda
BT-50 units across dealerships is very low, consisting mainly of vehicles
manufactured in 2022.

The Mazda BT-50 has been temporarily discontinued from the Mazda automotive lineup in the Vietnamese market. Photo: Mazda.

Meanwhile, the Toyota Hilux is going through a challenging first quarter in the
Vietnamese market, with zero sales recorded during this period. As a result, the
Toyota Hilux joins the Toyota Land Prado as one of the few models in the
Vietnamese market with no sales at the end of the first quarter.

However, unlike the Mazda BT-50, the Toyota Hilux still has a presence on the
Toyota Vietnam website. Currently, Vietnamese customers have only one option, the
2.4L 4×2 AT, when purchasing the Toyota Hilux, priced at 852 million VND.

While not as negative as the sales figures of the Toyota Hilux or Mazda BT-50, the
sales performance of the Isuzu D-Max and even the Mitsubishi Triton pales in
comparison to the Ford Ranger’s dominance.

After the first three months of the year, the Mitsubishi Triton is the second
most popular pickup truck in Vietnam, with 435 units sold, roughly equivalent to
one-eighth of the sales of the market-leading Ford Ranger. During the same
period, the Isuzu D-Max achieved sales of 76 units, implying an average monthly
sales figure of just over 25 vehicles.

Overall, the American-branded pickup truck, represented solely by the Ford
Ranger, significantly outperforms its Japanese competitors in the same segment.
The Ford Ranger is also the best-selling vehicle in the entire Vietnamese
market, surpassing the Mitsubishi Xpander, which sold 3,508 units in the first
three months.

Given this situation, several Japanese pickup trucks are pinning their hopes on
improved sales with the introduction of upgraded versions, which are expected to
arrive in Vietnam in the near future.

Anticipating the Upgraded Models

A year after its return to the Vietnamese market, the Toyota Hilux is confirmed
to receive an updated version starting in the second quarter. Instead of the
current sole option of the 2.4L 4×2 AT with a listed price of 852 million VND,
the Toyota Hilux will offer three variants: 4×2 MT, 4×2 AT, and 4×4 AT
Adventure.

The Toyota Hilux will once again enter the Vietnamese market in the second quarter. Photo: Boi Ha.

The 4×2 AT and 4×2 MT versions will share the same 2.4L diesel engine, generating
148 horsepower and a maximum torque of 400 Nm. On the other hand, the 4×4 AT
Adventure variant will be equipped with a more powerful 2.8L diesel engine,
producing 201 horsepower and 500 Nm of torque.

The expected starting price for the Toyota Hilux is 668 million VND. With this
strategic pricing, the Toyota Hilux will be competitively positioned against the
Ford Ranger (starting at 665 million VND) while remaining slightly higher than
the Mitsubishi Triton (from 650 million VND), Isuzu D-Max (from 650 million VND),
and Mazda BT-50 (starting at 554 million VND).

Meanwhile, the facelifted version of the Mazda BT-50 has already been launched
in the Thai market since February. This updated model was also showcased at the
Bangkok International Motor Show 2024, held in Bangkok, Thailand, last month.

The facelifted Mazda BT-50 at the Bangkok International Motor Show 2024, which took place in Bangkok, Thailand, last month. Photo: Paultan.

In the Thai market, the Mazda BT-50 offers two diesel engine options: a
1.9-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers a maximum output of 150 horsepower
and 350 Nm of torque, and a more powerful 3.0-liter variant that produces 190
horsepower and 450 Nm of torque. The Mazda BT-50 facelift is available with a
six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

Also at the Bangkok Motor Show, Mitsubishi unveiled the third-generation
Triton pickup truck, featuring significantly larger dimensions that provide more
spacious accommodations for rear passengers. The front end stands out with its
vertical grille and thin, horizontally oriented LED daytime running lights
positioned above the main headlight clusters, each featuring three LED units.

The third-generation Mitsubishi Triton pickup truck. Photo: Paultan.

The new Mitsubishi Triton is equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder diesel
engine, coded 4N16 (the previous engine was coded 4N15), offering three
different output options. The highest-spec variant delivers 201 horsepower and
470 Nm of torque. The other two engine options produce 181 horsepower/430 Nm and
148 horsepower/330 Nm, respectively. The vehicle is paired with a six-speed
automatic transmission and is available with either rear-wheel drive or
four-wheel drive.

Despite the efforts to refresh their offerings, the pickup truck segment in the
Vietnamese automotive market is likely to remain dominated by the Ford Ranger in
the foreseeable future. Ford Vietnam has recently introduced the Stormtrak
variant of the Ranger, priced at 1.039 billion VND. This move by the American
automaker further strengthens the Ford Ranger’s position as the undisputed
leader in the Vietnamese pickup truck segment.