VinFast Limo Green Secures Third Consecutive Win in the 2026 Car of the Year Awards: Five Prestigious Titles Announced

2026 CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Instead of a single Car of the Year title, this year’s Car of the Year 2026 program shifted to honoring vehicles based on specific values and criteria, better reflecting market diversity and varying consumer needs.

This approach ensures each vehicle is evaluated based on its role, target audience, and core value, rather than being compared across disparate categories.

During the ceremony, the Organizing Committee and Jury Panel announced the awards. The nine most popular segment awards (voted by the community) were revealed on www.xecuanam.vn immediately after the event on January 1, 2026.

Five awards were judged and selected by the Jury Panel:

Service Car of the Year 2026: VinFast Limo Green

Family Car of the Year 2026: Subaru Forester

Hybrid Car of the Year 2026: Honda HR-V e:HEV RS

EV of the Year 2026: VinFast Limo Green

Most Promising Car 2026: VinFast Limo Green

HIGHLIGHTS OF VIETNAM’S 2026 AUTOMOTIVE MARKET

OTV Media, in collaboration with the Otofun Community Board, highlighted key milestones in Vietnam’s 2025 automotive and transportation sectors. Detailed insights are available in the separate presentation.

The automotive sector saw notable figures in 2025.

Over 508,000 cars were sold, a 19% increase from 2024. Notably, 624,300 new car registrations marked a 27% rise, indicating strong demand for personal and service vehicles.

Additionally, 3.23 million new motorcycle registrations, up nearly 35%, highlight growing pressure on urban transportation and infrastructure.

A standout achievement in 2025 was the surge in electric vehicles.

For the first time, VinFast captured over one-third of the market, selling 175,099 units (34% market share) with a 100% year-on-year growth.

Electric vehicles are no longer experimental but a key market driver.

Hybrid vehicles also saw significant growth, with 14,171 units sold, up 44%. The 2025 Special Consumption Tax Law amendment paves the way for hybrid tax incentives from 2026, fostering fuel-efficient vehicle adoption.

Domestic production capacity expanded robustly in 2025.

Vietnam assembled approximately 484,500 cars, a 39% increase. VinFast’s Hai Phong plant produced 200,000 units, and new facilities like VinFast Ha Tinh, Skoda Quang Ninh, and GEL O&J Automotive underscore Vietnam’s emergence as a regional automotive hub.

Twenty-eight national standards for charging stations were introduced, and infrastructure expanded nationwide, supporting sustainable EV adoption.

INNOVATIONS IN THE 2026 CAR OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The 2026 program introduced notable adjustments to align with market trends and consumer behavior:

Streamlined Segments – Focused on User Needs

This year, segments were reduced to nine, simplifying comparisons and voting. For the second year, segments were categorized by price, not vehicle size.

The 2026 Car of the Year program made two key changes: eliminating distinctions between high and low ground clearance vehicles and categorizing vehicles by use (family or business).

Price Cap of VND 2 Billion

The program focuses on mass-market vehicles, which dominate sales and directly impact most Vietnamese consumers.

Consumer Participation in Scoring

A key innovation this year is consumer scoring alongside the Jury Panel, enhancing interaction and real-world feedback.

Both the Jury Panel and consumers evaluate vehicles using six unified criteria, annually updated to ensure:

Alignment with Vietnamese consumer needs

Reflection of emerging trends and technologies

Accuracy in market dynamics representation

The 2026 Car of the Year Awards aim for a transparent, multi-dimensional, and consumer-centric evaluation system.

All vehicles are assessed on six core criteria:

Price & Resale Value

Operating Costs

Durability & Reliability

Safety

Design & Comfort

Performance & Technology

ABOUT CAR OF THE YEAR: A BLEND OF EXPERTISE AND CONSUMER VOICE

Launched in 2021, Car of the Year is Vietnam’s first annual nationwide program evaluating vehicles from a consumer perspective.

Its unique dual scoring model combines:

A Jury Panel of 30+ experts from automotive media, technical fields, business, training, regulatory bodies, and associations.

Public voting by the consumer community on digital platforms.

This hybrid approach ensures results reflect both expert insights and real-world consumer experiences, guaranteeing fairness and transparency. In 2025, the program recorded over 80,000 community votes.

Entering its sixth year, Car of the Year remains Vietnam’s premier automotive award, blending professional evaluation and consumer feedback.

TH (Tuoitrethudo)