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The Vietnamese automotive market is characterized by stagnant segments dominated by familiar models such as SUVs, D-segment sedans, small MPVs, and pickup trucks. However, there are also a few segments that hold some intriguing surprises.
In May, the following segments witnessed interesting shifts in sales rankings:
Budget Sedan Segment: Toyota Vios Accelerates
Since its launch, the updated Toyota Vios has faced a slight decline in its dominance in the Vietnamese market. While it surpassed the Hyundai Accent with a total sales of 14,210 units in 2024, compared to the Accent’s 13,538 units, the gap was not significant.
In the early months of this year, the Toyota Vios often trailed behind the Hyundai Accent and Honda City in terms of sales figures.
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Toyota Vios faces strong competition but benefits from the inconsistency of its rivals. Photo: TMV. |
In the first month of the year, the Toyota Vios sold 490 units, placing it behind the Hyundai Accent (530 units) and the Honda City (568 units) in the best-selling compact sedan category.
The Vios reclaimed the top spot in February before losing it again in March, as its sales of 1,041 units fell short of the Accent’s 1,049 units.
In April, the Vios sold 773 units, outperforming the Accent, but the Honda City’s sales of 957 units kept the former sales leader in the segment from reclaiming the top position.
However, in May, the Toyota Vios experienced a surge in sales, outpacing both the Hyundai Accent and the Honda City to become the best-selling model in the segment. This was partly due to the inconsistent performance of its competitors.
| Toyota Vios gains momentum while Hyundai Accent and Honda City struggle with consistency | ||||||
| Sales performance of Toyota Vios, Hyundai Accent, and Honda City in the first five months (Data source: VAMA, TC Motor) | ||||||
| Brand | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | |
| Toyota Vios | units | 490 | 754 | 1041 | 773 | 1148 |
| Hyundai Accent | 530 | 455 | 1049 | 568 | 638 | |
| Honda City | 568 | 743 | 690 | 957 | 308 |
The lack of consistency from its rivals also helped the Toyota Vios solidify its lead in the segment after the first five months. As of the end of the second quarter, the Toyota Vios had sold 4,206 units in Vietnam, while the Honda City and Hyundai Accent trailed with cumulative sales of 3,266 units and 3,240 units, respectively.
Currently, the Toyota Vios is offered in three variants in Vietnam, with prices ranging from 458 million to 545 million VND. The Hyundai Accent has four variants priced between 439 million and 569 million VND, while the Honda City is available in three variants priced at 499 million, 539 million, and 569 million VND, respectively.
Compact SUV Segment: Ford Territory Makes a Surprise Appearance
The compact SUV segment in Vietnam has long been dominated by the Mazda CX-5. Its diverse range of variants, combined with its local assembly advantage and flexible pricing, have kept it at the top of the segment and even among the best-selling cars in the country.
However, in May, the best-selling model in the segment was not the Mazda CX-5 but its rival, the Ford Territory.
Specifically, the Ford Territory sold 1,481 units in May, outperforming the Mazda CX-5 by 35 units, which sold 1,446 units during the same period.
| Ford Territory surprises with higher sales than Mazda CX-5 | |||
| Sales performance of Mazda CX-5 and Ford Territory in the last two months (Data source: VAMA) | |||
| Brand | Apr | May | |
| Mazda CX-5 | units | 1416 | 1446 |
| Ford Territory | 945 | 1481 |
This surge in sales for the Ford Territory was likely due to attractive promotions offered by dealerships to clear out old inventory. During April and May, the Ford Territory received discounts of up to 80-90 million VND, bringing the starting price below 690 million VND.
While the Mazda CX-5 also offered promotions of 30-35 million VND across all variants, its sales only saw a slight increase of 30 units.
This unexpected surge in sales for the Ford Territory has narrowed the gap with the Mazda CX-5 in terms of cumulative sales. As of the end of May, the Mazda CX-5 had sold 5,884 units in Vietnam, while the Ford Territory had sold 4,521 units.
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The Ford Territory will soon receive an upgraded version in Vietnam. Photo: Ford. |
The Mazda CX-5 is currently available in seven variants in Vietnam, with prices ranging from 749 million to 979 million VND. The Ford Territory, on the other hand, offers four variants priced between 759 million and 889 million VND. However, an upgraded version of the Ford Territory is expected to be launched in the near future.
Hybrid Segment: Toyota Corolla Cross Surpasses its Predecessor
The green car segment in Vietnam is experiencing steady growth in both sales and the number of models and brands available. Thanks to its diverse range, hybrid models from Toyota are consistently among the top choices for Vietnamese customers.
The Toyota Innova Cross HEV, in particular, stood out in 2024 with sales of 2,461 units, significantly outpacing the Honda CR-V e:HEV RS, which sold 1,808 units.
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The Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8HEV was the best-selling hybrid model in May. Photo: TMV. |
In the early months of this year, the Toyota Innova Cross HEV continued to be the top-selling hybrid model in Vietnam on several occasions. However, in May, the Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8HEV took the lead, surpassing the Innova Cross.
According to the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA), the Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8HEV sold 230 units in May, accounting for nearly 50% of the model’s total sales of 885 units.
Meanwhile, the Toyota Innova Cross HEV sold 170 units in May, causing it to not only lose its top position in the segment but also fall to third place behind the Suzuki XL7 Hybrid (201 units) in the ranking of best-selling hybrid models.
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The Toyota Innova Cross HEV remains the top-selling hybrid model year-to-date. Photo: TMV. |
Despite this unexpected setback, the Toyota Innova Cross HEV still leads the hybrid segment in terms of year-to-date sales. As of the end of May, the Innova Cross HEV had sold 1,007 units, followed by the Suzuki XL7 Hybrid and the Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8HEV, with sales of 970 units and 929 units, respectively.
The Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8HEV is priced at 913 million VND, while the Toyota Innova Cross HEV has a price tag of 1.013 billion VND. The Suzuki XL7 Hybrid, imported from Indonesia, is priced at around 600 million VND, making it one of the most affordable hybrid options in the market.
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