Imported Cars Surge in Popularity, Dominating the Vietnamese Automotive Market

Compared to the previous month, the number of imported cars decreased by 13.5%, while the turnover value also decreased by 5%. On average, Vietnam spent about USD 12 million per day on importing cars last month.

In the first four months of 2025, Vietnam imported 64,995 cars, with a total value of over USD 1.4 billion. Compared to the same period in 2024, import volume increased by 48.5%, and turnover also increased by 50.7%.

This development indicates a strong recovery in consumer demand for imported cars, especially as the Vietnamese car market gradually enters its busiest period of the year.

It is noteworthy that Thailand has regained its leading position in terms of car exports to Vietnam after a period of yielding to Indonesia. Specifically, in the first four months, Vietnam imported 24,052 cars from Thailand, slightly higher than 23,915 cars from Indonesia.

Following these two ASEAN countries are China with 14,070 cars, Japan with 1,144 cars, and the US with 153 cars exported to Vietnam.

According to a report by the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA), domestic consumers are showing a strong shift towards imported cars. Of the 72,249 cars consumed in Vietnam so far this year, 37,175 were imports, slightly higher than the 35,074 domestically assembled cars.

Market data also shows that imported car models are dominating the market. The list of the top 10 best-selling internal combustion engine cars in Vietnam in the first quarter also includes several fully imported models. For example, the Ford Everest (a D-segment SUV imported from Thailand) recorded sales of 2,134 units, not only topping its segment but also ranking 5th in the overall best-selling cars of the quarter.

Two B-segment SUV models imported from Indonesia, the Toyota Yaris Cross (2,117 units) and the Mitsubishi Xforce (1,933 units), also made it to the top 10 best-selling internal combustion engine cars in Vietnam.

Despite the dominance of imported cars in terms of sales, domestically assembled models still maintain a strong position. Some well-known names such as the Mazda CX-5 (3,022 units), Toyota Vios (2,285 units), Ford Territory (2,095 units), Hyundai Accent (2,034 units), and Honda City (2,001 units) continue to be among the best-selling cars.

The Ford Ranger, a popular pickup truck, is also a prime example of the effective combination of domestic assembly and imports. Of the total sales of 3,762 Ranger units so far this year, 3,039 were assembled in Vietnam.

In the electric car segment, VinFast is the only car manufacturer producing entirely in Vietnam. As of the end of March, VinFast had delivered more than 35,100 vehicles to Vietnamese customers. The strong presence of VinFast creates a balance between imported and domestically produced cars. The Vietnamese automaker is also boosting exports to potential markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and India.

TH (Tuoitrethudo)

Photo: Quang Tien