The Evolution of Automotive Excellence: A Temporary Pause.

The Vietnamese automotive market has witnessed an interesting dynamic in recent times, with the introduction of new models, the strong presence of Chinese brands, and now, the departure of several vehicles across different segments.

While there has been no official announcement, the following models have effectively been discontinued in Vietnam due to their lackluster sales performance.

Mazda BT-50 Pickup Truck

In May, the Mazda Vietnam website quietly removed the Mazda BT-50 pickup truck from its lineup for local customers. Currently, the Mazda brand in Vietnam only offers the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6, and a range of SUVs including the CX-3, CX-30, CX-5, and CX-8.

Prior to its removal from the website, the Mazda BT-50 had seen months of zero sales. The only recorded sales for 2024 were in January, when five units were sold. The mid-sized pickup truck from Japan has faced declining sales, which some attribute to the anticipated release of an upgraded version. However, Thaco, the distributor, has not confirmed any information regarding the future of the Mazda BT-50.

The Mazda BT-50 is no longer featured on the Mazda Vietnam website. Image: Mazda.

It’s not just the Mazda BT-50 that is struggling in the Vietnamese market; other Japanese brands in the pickup segment are also facing challenges. The best-selling Japanese pickup is currently the Mitsubishi Triton, with 742 units sold in the first five months of the year. Toyota Hilux comes in second with 308 units sold as of May, but it has also experienced four consecutive months of zero sales. Meanwhile, the Isuzu D-Max has modest sales of 139 units, averaging just under 28 units per month.

In contrast, the Ford Ranger continues to dominate the pickup segment, with sales of 6,301 units in the first five months, accounting for more than 78% of the total segment sales.

Suzuki Ciaz B-Segment Sedan

Unlike the Mazda BT-50, the disappearance of the Suzuki Ciaz from the Vietnamese market was not a surprise, as it has consistently been one of the slowest-selling models in its segment and often appeared on the list of the worst-selling cars in the market.

In 2023, Suzuki Ciaz’s monthly sales never exceeded 10 units. With a total of 37 units sold for the year, it averaged just over three sales per month. This trend continued into the new year, with only eight units sold in the first five months of 2024. In the last week of June, the Suzuki Ciaz was officially removed from the brand’s passenger car product lineup in Vietnam.

Suzuki Ciaz is a familiar name on the list of slow-selling cars in Vietnam. Image: Vinh Phuc.

The decision to halt sales of the Suzuki Ciaz in Vietnam was expected, given its poor sales performance and lack of competitiveness in the B-segment sedan market. Priced at 535 million VND, the Suzuki Ciaz was more expensive than its rivals, including the Mitsubishi Attrage AT Premium (490 million VND) and the Kia Soluto (462 million VND). Its 1.4L gasoline engine, producing 91 horsepower and 130 Nm of torque, was also less powerful than the Kia Soluto’s engine of the same capacity.

Suzuki has not yet announced whether they will completely discontinue the Suzuki Ciaz in Vietnam, as they did with the Suzuki Celerio, or if they plan to introduce an updated version to improve its market performance in the future.

Toyota Yaris B-Segment Hatchback

Following the removal of the Suzuki Ciaz, Toyota quietly discontinued the Toyota Yaris from their lineup for Vietnamese customers.

Currently, the only hatchback model offered by Toyota in Vietnam is the Toyota Wigo, a city car imported from Indonesia. With the departure of the Toyota Yaris, the B-segment hatchback market in Vietnam is now left with only the Suzuki Swift and the Mazda2 Sport.

The Toyota Yaris has also been removed from the Toyota Vietnam website. Image: Boi Ha.

Similar to the Suzuki Ciaz, the Toyota Yaris struggled to find buyers in Vietnam despite the limited number of direct competitors in its segment. In 2023, the Toyota Yaris sold only 134 units, averaging just over 11 units per month, landing it on the list of the 10 slowest-selling cars in the market.

The Toyota Yaris started 2024 with sales of seven units in January, but quickly declined, selling only one unit in February. It then saw three consecutive months of zero sales before being removed from Toyota Vietnam’s product lineup.

The B-segment hatchback market as a whole is losing its appeal in Vietnam, with even the Suzuki Swift struggling to keep up, selling only 208 units in the first months of the year, averaging just under 42 units per month.

The Mazda2 Sport and Suzuki Swift are the few remaining players in the B-segment hatchback market. Image: Mazda.

The shrinking market share of B-segment hatchbacks is attributed to the rising popularity of small MPVs and urban SUVs in Vietnam. Within the price range of the Toyota Yaris (684 million VND) and the Suzuki Swift (560 million VND), buyers have a wide range of alternatives, including the Mitsubishi Xpander (560-698 million VND), Mitsubishi Xforce (599-705 million VND), Toyota Yaris Cross (starting at 650 million VND), Kia Sonet (539-624 million VND), and the Hyundai Creta (599-699 million VND).

Additionally, several small MPVs are priced similarly or lower than the Toyota Yaris, such as the Hyundai Stargazer (489-599 million VND), Honda BR-V (661-705 million VND), Suzuki XL7 (600 million VND), and the Toyota Veloz Cross (638-660 million VND).

Soon, the BYD Dolphin, a highly anticipated electric vehicle, will enter the B-segment hatchback market, further intensifying the competition. According to sales consultants, the BYD Dolphin is expected to be priced at 650 million VND, making it more affordable than the Toyota Yaris, but slightly higher than the Suzuki Swift and Mazda2 Sport (527-544 million VND).