The Ultimate Guide to Boosting C-Segment SUV Sales: Strategies to Reverse the Decline

Sales across the entire C-segment SUV market have witnessed a significant decline. Photo: Hùng Nguyễn.

The Vietnamese auto market has yet to see a positive turn in its sales performance at the beginning of the second quarter, with vehicle sales plummeting after a slight growth in March. The C-segment SUV market also demonstrated a substantial drop, selling only 2,215 units in April, a 22.5% decrease compared to the previous month. The overall sales figure for this segment was even less than half of that from the same period last year (5,180 units).

Mazda CX-5 Remains the Top-Selling Model Ahead of Ford Territory

In April, Thaco sold 812 units of the Mazda CX-5, a decrease of approximately 20.5% from the previous month. This figure is also only equivalent to about 46% compared to April 2022.

Despite the significant drop in sales, the Mazda CX-5 continues to showcase its appeal in the C-segment SUV category in Vietnam, maintaining its position as the best-selling model in this segment.

In the first four months of the year, Thaco delivered 3,266 units of the Mazda CX-5 to customers, triple the sales volume of the Kia Sportage or Hyundai Tucson. When compared to the Mitsubishi Outlander, the sales of this C-segment SUV are six times higher.

In May, Mazda CX-5 continued to benefit from the brand’s extensive promotional campaign, offering total discounts of up to 100 million VND. When contacting a Mazda dealership in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City, the sales consultant there informed that the C-segment SUV from Mazda was being discounted by 80-110 million VND, depending on the version and color.

Specifically, the two high-end versions had the highest reduction of up to 110 million VND. As a result, the prices after discounts for the 2.0 Premium and 2.5L Signature Premium AWD versions were 809 million VND and 947 million VND, respectively.

The 2.0L Deluxe version is currently priced at 759 million VND, a reduction of 80 million VND from the manufacturer’s listed price. The 2.0L Luxury version of the Mazda CX-5 also received an 80 million VND discount, bringing the post-promotion price of this variant to 799 million VND.

After achieving impressive sales figures in previous months, the Ford Territory newcomer has also experienced a downward trend in sales in the first few months of this year. In April, this Ford model sold only 585 units, 25.12% lower than the previous month (776 units). This is also the fourth consecutive month that the sales of this C-segment SUV have remained below 1,000 units.

Ford Territory is the second best-selling model in the segment. Photo: Hội An.

Once expected to surpass the Mazda CX-5 as the best-selling CUV in the market, the cumulative sales of the Ford Territory in the first four months of the year reached only 2,436 units, widening the gap between it and the Mazda CX-5 to 830 units.

Since the beginning of April, the prices of Ford Territory models have been adjusted upward by 10-19 million VND, depending on the version. Specifically, the Titanium version increased by 10 million VND, bringing its listed price to 909 million VND, while the Titanium X version witnessed a rise of 19 million VND. After the adjustment, the price of the Ford Territory Titanium X version reached 954 million VND.

The rapid increase in listed prices, along with the lack of promotional programs, are the main reasons for the sharp decline in the sales of this C-segment SUV in April.

Deep Discounts, but Honda CR-V Sales Only Slightly Improved

Honda Vietnam has continuously offered promotions covering the entire registration fee for the Honda CR-V for several consecutive months. However, the sales performance of this C-segment SUV has not shown a significant improvement. In April, Honda Vietnam sold 237 units of the CR-V, an increase of just 10 units from the previous month. This model was also the only one in the segment to unexpectedly achieve sales growth.

In the first four months, the sales volume of the Honda CR-V reached a total of 1,169 units, still maintaining its position as the third best-selling C-segment SUV in Vietnam. However, this figure is even lower than the sales of the Honda CR-V in April of the previous year (2,093 units).

In May, customers purchasing the Honda CR-V continued to enjoy a policy offering 100% exemption on registration fees, equivalent to a maximum value of 136 million VND, depending on the version and registration location. In addition, customers buying the Honda CR-V during this period also received a one-year body insurance package and various gifts from the distributing dealer.

Currently, this model is available in the Vietnamese market with four versions, with listed prices of 998 million VND, 1,048 billion VND, 1,118 billion VND, and 1,138 billion VND, respectively.

The Hyundai Tucson regained its position as the third best-selling model in the segment, with sales reaching 259 units, 48 units lower than the previous month, equivalent to a decrease of 18.5%. Compared to the same period last year (580 units), the sales of this C-segment SUV were only about 42%, despite the application of promotional discounts throughout April.

As of early May, TC Group sold 990 units of the Hyundai Tucson, making it the second slowest-selling model in the segment, just above the Mitsubishi Outlander. It can be observed that due to prolonged stock shortages, the Hyundai Tucson has gradually lost its appeal. Therefore, with the restoration of ample supply, the market share of this “former king” has shrunk in the face of competition from newcomers like the Kia Sportage and Ford Territory.

Slow-Selling Group Remains Unchanged

The Mitsubishi Outlander sold 126 units in the past month, a 44% decrease compared to the previous month, retaining its position as the slowest-selling C-segment SUV in the market. In the first four months of the year, Mitsubishi Vietnam delivered 599 units of the Outlander, accounting for 27% of the total sales volume in this segment.

In May, the brand continued to offer a program supporting 50% of the registration fee to clear the 2022 VIN lot for this CUV. Some dealerships also offered additional gifts such as a 360-degree camera and floor mats to stimulate purchasing demand.

Mitsubishi Outlander remains the slowest-selling model in the segment despite significant discounts. Photo: MMV.

Currently, the Mitsubishi Outlander is listed at a price range of 825-950 million VND. Therefore, the 50% discount on the registration fee will provide a value of approximately 42-47.5 million VND, depending on the vehicle registration location.

The sales performance of the Kia Sportage remained relatively stable in the past month, reaching 200 units. In the first four months of the year, Thaco Vietnam sold 1,002 units of the Sportage, maintaining its position as the fourth best-selling C-segment SUV in the market.

Customers purchasing the Kia Sportage in May will be eligible for promotions of up to 100 million VND. Specifically, the 2.0D Signature and Signature X-Line versions will be offered a discount of 100 million VND each. Meanwhile, the remaining variants of this C-segment SUV will have discounts ranging from 40 to 60 million VND.

You may also like

The Rugged Honda CR-V 2026 Unveiled with the Adventurous TrailSport Trim

The all-new Honda CR-V 2026, including the highly anticipated TrailSport variant, is set to arrive at US dealerships this spring.

The Hyundai Accent Surges Ahead: Outselling Both the Toyota Vios and Honda City

With these impressive results, the Hyundai Accent has cemented its position as the best-selling car in the B-segment sedan category in Vietnam.

The Ultimate C-SUV Sales Showdown: Can the Hyundai Tucson Steal the Spotlight in March 2025?

In March 2025, the C-segment SUV market witnessed a surge in sales across the board.

The Ultimate Mazda Design Evolution

The new CX-3 has received a youthful makeover with design changes from head to tail.

Ford Territory: Deep Discounts from Dealers, Clearing Stock to Make Way for the Upgraded Model

After Mazda adjusted the price of the CX-5 to a starting point of VND 694 million to clear 2024 inventory, Ford quickly responded with deep discounts on the Territory.