New "twin horses" in the Vietnamese auto market?

With a surprising acceleration in March 2015, the Mazda3 model is showing that it can compete with its tough rival Toyota Corolla Altis to create a new "twin horse" pair.

The appeal of the new generation that this duo represents is very clear and each model holds its own advantages.

In the recent sales statistics table of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA), there are some interesting numbers, which are the sales volume in March and the total for the first 3 months of 2015 of the Toyota Corolla Altis and Mazda3 models.

The detail that will surely make many people "fall over" is that the number of Mazda3 cars sold in March 2015 reached 592 cars, far exceeding the 435 cars that its compatriot Corolla Altis "reaped".

Note that this is the first time Mazda3 has surpassed Corolla Altis in sales volume since its official return to Vietnam exactly 5 years ago, in March 2011. During the previous period, Mazda3's monthly sales volume was always much lower than Corolla Altis'.

Another point worth noting is that both the Corolla Altis and Mazda3 currently on the market are completely new generations that were introduced not long ago by two Japanese car manufacturers. The Corolla Altis was launched in mid-October 2014 and exactly 2 months later, in mid-December 2014, the Mazda3 also appeared with a completely “transformed” appearance.

The breakthrough in output of this duo is quite obvious. Almost immediately after the new generation was introduced, the sales of both Corolla Altis and Mazda3 increased sharply.

Specifically, in October 2014, the number of Corolla Atis cars delivered by Toyota to customers immediately increased to 809 units, a huge step compared to the previous month's 454 units. Meanwhile, Mazda3's progress was somewhat slower than its competitor.

In the month the new generation was introduced, Mazda3 production only increased from 225 units in November 2014 to 272 units. It was not until the following month that the market's purchasing power for Mazda3 jumped to 476 units, nearly double the level before the new generation was introduced, meaning the growth rate was similar to that of its competitors.

The appeal of the new generation that this duo shows is very clear and each model holds its own advantages. Overall, both in terms of design and usability, if the Corolla Altis shows simplicity, friendliness and loyalty, the Mazda3 possesses its own personality, noise and youthfulness.

Back to the statistics. The truth is that Mazda3 has made a breakthrough and surpassed Corolla Altis spectacularly. However, that was only when counting in March 2015. When adding up the first 3 months of the year, the total sales of Corolla Altis are still significantly higher than Mazda3, specifically 1,693 units compared to 1,255 units.

Part of the reason for the Mazda3’s breakthrough in March 2015 can be explained by its price. More specifically, the distributor Truong Hai has applied a preferential program for most Mazda models in the Vietnamese market, in which the Mazda3 enjoys a discount of 19 million VND, thereby helping the overall retail price of the Mazda3 to be lower than that of the Corolla Altis.

Currently, the Vietnamese auto market has a number of competing models like a pair of horses in many aspects. These include the 5-seat SUV duo Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5, the premium mid-size sedan duo Toyota Camry and Mazda6, and the two pickup models Ford Ranger and Nissan NP300 Navara. Therefore, the acceleration of Mazda3 is also expected to form a new pair of "horses". Of course, the requirement is that Mazda3 must be durable enough to compete with Corolla Altis in the long term.

Retail price list of Toyota Corolla Altis and Mazda3

No. Vehicle type Selling price (VND)

1 Corolla Altis 1.8L MT 764,000,000

2 Corolla Altis 1.8L CVT 815,000,000

3 Corolla Altis 2.0L CVT 954,000,000

4 Mazda3 sedan 1.5L AT 729,000,000

5 Mazda3 sedan 2.0L AT 862,000,000

6 Mazda3 hatchback 1.5L AT 749,000,000

According to VnEconomy