Foreign cars overwhelm domestic cars at domestic auto shows

Vietnam Motor Show (VMS) 2016 is a playground for domestic assembly, but the attention is drawn by completely imported car models.

Audi is currently the leading brand in the import sector.

In early October, the Vietnam Auto Show 2016 took place in Hanoi after 3 years of absence in the North. This year's event was held amid doubts from both experts and consumers because the bright stars had all attended the Imported Car Show in Ho Chi Minh City.

However, Vietnam Motor Show still needs highlights to attract visitors. All attention will be focused on imported car models - which are not the main characters on VAMA's home field.

One of the most anticipated models by consumers is the all-new generation of the 2016 Honda Civic. This sedan is imported directly from Thailand with a 1.5 turbocharged VTEC engine to increase the weight of the Japanese joint venture's car business in the market in general and the C-segment in particular.

The drastic change in design and advanced technology is expected to revive a monument that once made waves in Vietnam.

Next, Ford Explorer is also a name that attracts attention but clearly is not a model that Ford Vietnam has put in its domestic assembly plan. This large SUV is imported directly from the US, instead of Thailand like many other products of Ford Vietnam. Explorer is equipped with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine and will be sold from the end of the year after being introduced at VMS 2016.

In the pickup truck segment, which is on the rise and receiving great attention from domestic customers, it is not difficult to see that imported models have the upper hand. The “best-selling king” Ford Ranger or new names such as Chevrolet Colorado 2017, new Toyota Hilux, Mazda BT-50 all come from Thailand.

The only luxury booth at VMS 2016 is Lexus, which displays 100% imported car models.

From this, it can be seen that the preferential tariff barriers for imported car models are having a clear impact on the flow of the domestic automobile market. Although import tax is not the first and most important factor affecting the final selling price when it reaches consumers, the opening of the market in 2018 is creating an irresistible trend of car imports in Vietnam.

According to Zing