Daihatsu and Toyota’s production and business activities developed on the Daihatsu chassis platform are being resumed in the Vietnamese market and other Southeast Asian countries.
On January 26, after receiving instructions from the Toyota Group and reporting to the management agencies of Vietnam, Toyota Vietnam (TMV) announced the delivery of Avanza Premio MT to dealerships after a month-long interruption. The Avanza Premio MT model has been confirmed to meet safety and environmental protection standards by independent certification agencies abroad.
Vietnam is the next market in Asia to resume the business operations of Daihatsu or Toyota models using the Daihatsu (DNGA) chassis platform. Similar to Vietnam, the affected models from the Daihatsu certification scandal do not affect the overall quality of the vehicles. This is the basis for governments of many countries to allow Daihatsu and Toyota to resume production and sales.
In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is the first country to allow Daihatsu and Toyota to resume production and sales. The government of Indonesia says that Daihatsu and Toyota vehicles (using the DNGA platform developed by Daihatsu) still meet the standards before being released to the market.
After Indonesia, Malaysia is the next country to grant licenses for Daihatsu-related products to be produced and sold normally. Daihatsu spokesperson on December 25, 2023, told Reuters that the company has resumed operations at its joint ventures with Perodua in Malaysia after being licensed by the relevant authorities of this country.
Veloz Cross and Avanza Premio in Vietnam
Daihatsu is a subsidiary brand of Toyota, established in 1907, belonging to one of the oldest internal combustion engine manufacturers in Japan. In 2016, Toyota completed the acquisition of all Daihatsu shares.
Daihatsu’s strength lies in small, inexpensive, durable, fuel-efficient vehicles, belonging to the entry-level group for first-time car owners. By the end of 2023, Daihatsu was the best-selling brand in the small car segment in Japan with a market share of 32.4%. In Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Malaysia are the two countries that consume the most Daihatsu vehicles. In the Indonesian market in 2023, Daihatsu sold more than 18,000 vehicles, accounting for about 18.7% of the overall market share, second only to Toyota (336,777 vehicles and 33.5% market share), according to Marklines.
In Vietnam, Daihatsu’s situation also affected Toyota’s production activities but to a small extent. According to the announcement from the Toyota Group, Avanza MT is the only model affected in Vietnam.
Specifically, the Toyota Avanza MT (a Daihatsu chassis) was found to have abnormalities in the vehicle certification process, with a flat plate attached to the rear wind deflector position increasing aerodynamic drag. This change resulted in deviations in exhaust emissions and fuel consumption test results abroad but did not affect the vehicle’s technical safety. In addition, each product exported to foreign countries must undergo testing in the country of origin. Avanza Premio MT has been certified and tested to meet quality standards by the Vehicle Registration Agency of Vietnam. Therefore, customers can use it with confidence.
Toyota Vietnam resumes delivery of Avanza Premio MT to dealerships from January 26, 2024
After identifying the issue, Daihatsu Japan proactively conducted internal technical inspections and tests on the abnormal model under the supervision of independent testing management agencies and received confirmation from a third-party independent committee that all items meet the standards.
However, Toyota Vietnam still proactively suspended the delivery of Avanza Premio MT to dealerships from December 21, 2023, to await instructions from the Toyota Group, as the certification of this model abroad is being reviewed by independent testing and certification agencies. After receiving instructions from the Toyota Group and reporting to the management agencies of Vietnam, Toyota Vietnam resumes delivery of Avanza Premio MT to dealerships from January 26, 2024. The Avanza Premio MT model has been confirmed to meet safety and environmental protection standards by independent certification agencies abroad.
Globally, the Toyota Group stated that it will provide comprehensive support for Daihatsu, not only reviewing the approval process to prevent similar incidents from happening again but also strongly reorienting its corporate culture and management. The company aims to improve specific measures to prevent recurrence and report the results in February 2024.
TH (Tuoitrethudo)
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