Many new recruits are launched, users have more and more hybrid car options
After a series of hybrid car models launched such as Suzuki Hybrid Ertiga, Nissan Kicks e-Power, Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8HEV or Volvo SUV models, the Vietnamese car market continues to welcome a wave of hybrid cars in 2023 with many products that have been and are expected to be introduced.
It is worth noting that car companies planning to launch electric car lines are all car companies in the popular segment, which is already familiar to Vietnamese users.
To start with, we can mention the hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants of the 7-seat Kia Sorento SUV. The Kia Sorento HEV has 3 versions with listed prices ranging from 1.304-1.599 billion VND.
The Kia Sorento PHEV has two versions priced from VND1,494 - 1,604 billion. This car line also uses a 1.6L turbocharged gasoline engine similar to the Sorento HEV variant, but the electric motor is more powerful to run in pure electric mode. The electric motor on the Sorento PHEV has a capacity of 90 horsepower, torque of 304Nm. The battery pack capacity is also larger, reaching 13.8kWh.
Another Korean 7-seat SUV, the Hyundai SantaFe, has just added a hybrid variant with a selling price of 1.45 billion VND. The car uses a traditional hybrid system, with the electric motor and internal combustion engine operating separately or in combination depending on operating conditions.
In particular, the SmartStream 1.6L turbocharged gasoline engine has a capacity of 178 horsepower, 265Nm torque, comes with a 60 horsepower electric motor and a 1.49kWh battery. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic optimized for the hybrid system.
Japanese car company Toyota, familiar to Vietnamese users, will also launch a new generation of Innova expected in October called Innova Cross and will also have a hybrid version.
There are no specific specifications for this model when sold in Vietnam, however in Indonesia, the new Toyota Innova hybrid variant uses a 2.0L gasoline engine with a capacity of 152 horsepower, 187Nm of torque and an electric motor, for a total capacity of 184 horsepower, 206Nm of torque.
Another car company, Honda, has also announced plans to introduce a series of hybrid cars in the Vietnamese market, starting this year. The Japanese car company has not revealed which models will be launched, but in the Honda product line in Vietnam such as Honda City, Honda Civic, Honda Accord, Honda HR-V and Honda CR-V, all have hybrid versions in international markets.
Coming this August, a fairly new car company will enter the Vietnamese market called Haval. Haval will introduce its first car model in the Vietnamese market called Haval H6. This car line is expected to have a hybrid version and is likely to be the first C-class crossover in Vietnam to use this transmission system.
In some Southeast Asian markets such as Thailand or Malaysia, the hybrid version of the Haval H6 uses a 1.5 turbocharged engine with a capacity of 165 horsepower, 285Nm torque combined with an electric motor with a capacity of 174 horsepower. This system gives a total capacity of 240 horsepower, torque of 530Nm. Comes with a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Currently in Vietnam, hybrid car models are gradually gaining more attention from consumers because of their long-distance driving ability compared to electric cars and their fuel economy. However, hybrid versions are often more expensive than the remaining gasoline and diesel versions.
Among the hybrid models currently sold in the Vietnamese market, the Toyota Corolla Cross is the best-selling model, a model that is often in the top sellers in the entire market. With the increase in products, in the near future, Vietnamese consumers will have more diverse choices when choosing to buy a hybrid gasoline-electric car.
