Car models dominate the Vietnamese market in 2017

Defeating Toyota Vios, Mazda3, CX-5 or Ford Ranger is currently a difficult problem for competitors.

The common point of the segment kings in Vietnam is the large gap with their competitors. Not counting December sales, these models have a solid chance of ending 2017 in the leading position.

The overall picture shows Toyota's dominance with strategic products such as Vios, Innova and Fortuner. The Mazda brand distributed by Truong Hai dominates with CX-5 and Mazda3. The Ranger pickup continues to be Ford's golden goose.

The charts below show cumulative sales through November 2017.

Toyota Vios - B-class sedan

Toyota Vios leaves its competitors far behind in sales.

Another successful year in sales for Toyota's B-class sedan. Sales were three times higher than its closest competitor, the Honda City.

Toyota Vios, the Japanese car company's best-selling model in Vietnam.

Vios does not have many significant upgrades in 2017 when compared to its rival Honda. With a price of 588 million VND, it is easily accessible to ordinary customers and with the advantage of its brand, Toyota's car model has achieved good consumption, although the market is unlikely to achieve the expected growth rate due to the Vietnamese people's psychology of waiting for car prices to decrease in 2018.

Mazda3 - C-class sedan

Honda Civic, although highly appreciated for its design and driving feel, has not brought about a breakthrough in sales.

Mazda3 is a typical case of a product that hits the right consumer market by bringing a breath of fresh air in design and pricing strategy of the distributor. Overcoming the "goldfish error" incident in 2016, Mazda's sedan model made a strong comeback in 2017 despite the fact that customer confidence was shaken.

The mid-cycle upgraded version of Mazda3 was launched in Vietnam in May 2017.

The rise of Mazda3 needs to be mentioned with the "help" of its competitors. The "giant" Toyota Altis with few changes, Honda Civic with imported origin, quite high pricing and a philosophy focusing on sports experience for young customers, has reduced its own competitiveness in sales with the leading car model. Besides Kia Cerato with good growth, Ford Focus is pale at the bottom of the list.

Toyota Camry - D-class sedan

Contrasting sales of Camry and Accord, besides the rise of Mazda6.

Camry is no longer the D-class sedan that has absolute advantage over its competitors like a few years ago, but its closest rival Mazda6 needs more time to have a chance to usurp the throne. The imported Honda Accord still plays its own way, similar to the customer approach of its younger sibling Civic. Sales are therefore much lower than Camry and Mazda6.

Camry 2017 version in Vietnam.

While waiting for the new generation Camry to appear in Vietnam, the current version is selling well thanks to the brand strength and long-established shopping habits of middle-aged customers. The youthful-looking Mazda6, priced lower than its competitors, is likely to be a real rival to Camry in the near future.

Mazda CX-5 - Crossover priced at one billion

The sales gap between the two leading positions of CX-5 and CR-V is quite large.

The multi-purpose vehicles in the billion-dollar range that are popular in Vietnam have seen the Mazda CX-5 and Honda CR-V capture the majority of the market share. Price reductions are the catalyst for the fierce battle between the two Japanese models. The CX-5's victory in the long-term battle is not surprising.

Mazda CX-5 has absolute advantage over competitors in the segment.

The model assembled and distributed by Truong Hai has a big advantage in price, one of the top criteria for achieving good sales. The neutral design suitable for both male and female customers makes the CX-5 more popular than its Honda competitor. The rest of the race is other Japanese names such as Nissan X-Trail, Mitsubishi Outlander or Hyundai Tucson (data not disclosed). And the model that once created a fever, Chevrolet Captiva.

Toyota Fortuner - 7-seat SUV class D

Vietnamese consumers still prioritize Fortuner on their shopping list in the 7-seat SUV segment.

The new Fortuner was announced at the beginning of 2017 with a starting price of 981 million VND imported from Indonesia, making its competitor, the Ford Everest, with the lowest price of nearly 1.2 billion VND, unable to sit still. But importantly, Toyota's model resolves the controversy of the previous generation due to the lack of safety equipment such as VSC electronic balance. In addition, it has a new, more sleek design.

New generation Toyota Fortuner changes prejudices in Vietnam. Photo: Luong Dung.

Establishing a solid position in the segment and consumer shopping habits, the new Fortuner did not take much time to convince Vietnamese customers, although there are still disadvantages in driving features.

Ford Ranger - pickup truck

Ford Ranger shows superiority over other competitors.

Pickup trucks are a rare segment in Vietnam where American brands beat their Japanese rivals in the sales race. The Ford Ranger does not have a competitive price like the rest, but its rich equipment, powerful engine in the 3.2 Wildtrak version and rugged American appearance have won the hearts of Vietnamese people.

Ford Ranger is the most popular in Vietnam.

The Vietnamese demand for pickup trucks that prioritize convenience is one of the important factors that helps American pickup trucks make a strong impression on the market. Ford Ranger and Chevrolet Colorado meet those requirements better than Japanese cars.

In addition to the above models, Toyota Innova currently dominates the 7-seat MPV segment, Grand i10 is the best-selling small urban hatchback group.

According to VNE