Vietnamese car buyers have been patiently awaiting a 50% reduction in registration fees for domestically produced and assembled vehicles. However, it’s already August, and the decree enacting this fee reduction has yet to take effect.
Meanwhile, several completely built-up imported car models that are ineligible for government support have introduced registration fee incentives from the manufacturers themselves. A prime example is the Subaru Forester.
According to Subaru, during August 2024, the Forester will offer registration fee support with varying benefits depending on the model. Specifically, the Subaru Forester 2.0 iL standard version will receive a partial registration fee discount worth VND 50 million. The corresponding figure for the 2.0 iL EyeSight version is VND 110 million. The 2.0 iS EyeSight version, on the other hand, will have its entire registration fee covered by the manufacturer, amounting to a substantial VND 140 million.
Version | Listed Price (VND) | Discount | Cash Value (VND) |
Subaru Forester 2.0 iL | 969,000,000 | Save a portion of the registration fee | 50,000,000 |
Subaru Forester 2.0 iL EyeSight | 1,099,000,000 | Save a portion of the registration fee | 110,000,000 |
Subaru Forester 2.0 iS EyeSight | 1,199,000,000 | Save 100% of the registration fee | 140,000,000 |
Incentive program for the Subaru Forester in August 2024.
Thus, the Subaru Forester’s promotion for August 2024 remains unchanged from July. This program is valid until August 31, 2024, and the registration fee discounts will be based on 10% of the listed price.
The Subaru Forester models included in this promotion are all 2024 production (VIN 2024). With this program, the Subaru model is expected to offer the highest incentives in the popular C-segment SUV market in Vietnam.
The Subaru Forester currently has a price range of VND 969 million to VND 1.199 billion for its three versions. Compared to its competitors in the same segment, the Forester is relatively expensive, only undercutting the Honda CR-V. Therefore, without manufacturer incentives, this completely built-up imported car from Thailand would struggle to compete.
Aside from its price disadvantage, the Subaru Forester also has a design that may not appeal to many Vietnamese consumers. However, it makes up for this with its advanced EyeSight 4.0 driver-assist system, which uses dual cameras for a field of view twice as wide. This enables modern safety features such as automatic pre-collision braking, automatic emergency steering, adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and lane-keeping assist.
Additionally, the Subaru Forester is equipped with a 2.0L 4-cylinder Boxer engine that produces a maximum of 154 horsepower and 196 Nm of torque. The engine is paired with a continuously variable transmission that simulates 7 gears and Subaru’s signature Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. It is one of the few C-segment SUVs in Vietnam to feature all-wheel drive as standard.
From 2025, the Forester, along with other Subaru models, will be imported into Vietnam from Japan, as Subaru’s Thai plant is scheduled to close on December 30, 2024. This will likely impact the pricing of Subaru vehicles in Vietnam due to the 50-70% import tax they will incur.