The Ultimate Showdown: Toyota Hilux’s Spectacular Comeback Challenges Ford Ranger’s Reign as the ‘Pickup Truck King’

The Toyota Hilux, a top-selling pickup truck, is pictured here. Photo courtesy of TMV.

In the Vietnamese market, the Toyota Hilux, along with the Mazda BT-50 and several other models, experienced consecutive months of zero sales. However, with the introduction of the new generation model, the Japanese automaker’s mid-size pickup has made a remarkable comeback in May.

Toyota Hilux Re-enters the Game

In May, the total sales of the pickup segment reached 1,981 units, a significant improvement over the 1,436 units sold in the previous month. Excluding the Mazda BT-50, which has essentially halted business in Vietnam at this point, all other representatives in the pickup segment reported positive growth in sales for the mid-Q2 report.

Among them, the Toyota Hilux stands out with an impressive comeback, as its sales jumped from zero to 308 units. The strong performance in May was likely driven by the launch of the new generation of this mid-size pickup.

Toyota Hilux experiences remarkable sales growth
Sales performance of the pickup segment in Vietnam for the last two months (Data source: VAMA)
Brand	April	May
Ford Ranger	1,262	1,477
Toyota Hilux	0	308
Mitsubishi Triton	144	163
Isuzu D-Max	30	33
Mazda BT-50	0	0

Earlier in mid-May, the 2024 Toyota Hilux was introduced to Vietnamese customers with a total of three versions: 2.4L 4×2 AT, 2.4L 4×4 MT, and 2.8L 4×4 AT Adventure. The respective price tags for these versions are VND 668 million, VND 706 million, and VND 999 million.

The current price range of VND 668-999 million for the Toyota Hilux 2024 is considered relatively close to its competitors, including the Mitsubishi Triton (VND 650-905 million), Isuzu D-Max (VND 650-880 million), and the Ford Ranger, which has a price range of VND 665 million to VND 1.039 billion (excluding the Raptor version).

With this positive sales performance in May, the Toyota Hilux has climbed to the second spot in the ranking of best-selling pickup trucks in Vietnam. In the same period, the Mitsubishi Triton recorded sales of 163 units, a slight increase from the 144 units sold in April.

The Isuzu D-Max also experienced a modest sales growth in May, with 33 units sold last month, bringing its year-to-date cumulative sales to 139 units.

Isuzu D-Max also sees an increase in sales for May. Photo courtesy of Isuzu.

At the bottom of the sales chart for the pickup segment is the Mazda BT-50, with zero sales in May and only five units sold year-to-date. This model has been experiencing consecutive months of zero sales before Thaco temporarily removed it from the Mazda car product range in Vietnam.

Prior to the suspension of business in Vietnam, the Mazda BT-50 was offered in two versions with respective price tags of VND 554 million and VND 614 million.

Ford Ranger Remains the King

Despite the impressive comeback of the Toyota Hilux and the growth of the Mitsubishi Triton and Isuzu D-Max, the “crown” in the pickup segment in Vietnam still firmly belongs to the Ford Ranger. In May, this pickup truck recorded sales of 1,477 units, accounting for nearly 75% of the total sales in the entire segment.

With almost 1,500 units sold, the Ford Ranger continues to be one of the best-selling car models in Vietnam. Specifically, it ranked second in the sales chart for May, just behind the Mitsubishi Xpander, which achieved sales of 1,766 units.

Since the beginning of the year, the Ford Ranger has consistently been the top contributor to the sales volume in the pickup segment. In February, its sales even accounted for nearly 92% of the total 961 pickup trucks delivered to Vietnamese customers.

Ford Ranger remains the undisputed leader in the pickup segment
Sales structure of the pickup segment in Vietnam after the first five months (Data source: VAMA)
Brand	Ford Ranger	Mitsubishi Triton	Toyota Hilux	Isuzu D-Max	Mazda BT-50
	6,301	742	308	139	5

The wide range of versions and price points offered by the Ford Ranger are believed to be key factors in its dominance in the Vietnamese market. In addition to the Raptor variant, Vietnamese customers have seven other options to choose from, with prices ranging from VND 665 million to VND 1.039 billion.

Overall, the pickup segment in Vietnam is unlikely to witness a significant shift in leadership, despite the potential launch of new generations of the Mitsubishi Triton, Isuzu D-Max, and Mazda BT-50 this year. Currently, out of the total sales of 8,040 units in the segment for the first five months, the Ford Ranger alone accounts for 6,301 units.

The competitive landscape in this segment may only change with the introduction of the VinFast VF Wild pickup truck in Vietnam. Previously, the concept version of the VF Wild was brought to Vietnam and showcased after participating in several auto exhibitions abroad.

The VinFast VF Wild is expected to dethrone the Ford Ranger as the top-selling pickup truck in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Tran Duc Binh.

While detailed specifications about the engine and battery of the VF Wild have not been disclosed, VinFast has shared that its total length is 5,324 mm, and its width is 1,997 mm.

The overall dimensions of the VF Wild electric pickup are slightly smaller than those of the Tesla Cybertruck (5,885 mm in length and 2,030 mm in width) but are comparable to most other pickups currently available in Vietnam, such as the Nissan Navara (5,260 x 1,850 mm), Toyota Hilux (5,325 x 1,855 mm), Isuzu D-Max (5,265 x 1,870 mm), Mitsubishi Triton (5,305 x 1,815 mm), and Ford Ranger (5,362 x 1,918 mm)