According to the report from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association, member units achieved sales of 301,989 vehicles in 2023, a decrease of 25% compared to 2022. Of which, passenger cars decreased by 27%, commercial vehicles decreased by 16%, and special-purpose vehicles decreased by 56%.
Despite the relatively “dark” picture of the Vietnamese automobile market last year, there were still remarkable models that reversed the downward trend and achieved impressive sales growth.
Honda HR-V (increased by 1,548 vehicles)
The increase in sales of the Honda HR-V compared to the previous year was somewhat surprising to many people, as its attractiveness was inferior to many strong rivals in the urban SUV segment such as Hyundai Creta or Kia Seltos.
However, with the introduction of a new version last year, combined with continuous discount programs, this model sold more than 3,800 units. It must also be mentioned that the increase in sales of the Honda HR-V by 68% compared to 2022 was partly due to the fact that the sales in 2022 of this model were too low.
The Honda HR-V currently available in Vietnam is the second generation with a new, larger and sportier exterior design. The car has a total of 3 versions, priced from 699 to 871 million VND (plus 5 million for color options). The car uses a turbocharged 1.5L engine with a power of 174 horsepower and a torque of 240 Nm for the L and RS versions, while the G version uses a naturally aspirated 1.5L engine with a power of 119 horsepower. All versions are equipped with Honda Sensing.
Kia Sonet (increased by 1,920 vehicles)
2023 was considered a success for the Kia Sonet as it surpassed its “elder brother” Seltos to become the best-selling Kia model in the Vietnamese market with sales of over 11,300 vehicles. Not only that, the Sonet also outperformed its direct competitor Toyota Raize, asserting its leading position in the A+ segment SUV.
Compared to its launch, Kia has removed the manual transmission version of this model, only offering 3 versions: Deluxe (519 million VND), Luxury (549 million VND), and Premium (574 million VND). The car has a neat and dynamic design that helps it move flexibly on city streets. Its high ground clearance, solid plastic cladding, and prominent body lines also make it visually appealing to many people.
The Kia Sonet uses a Smartstream 1.5L engine with a power of 113 horsepower and a torque of 144 Nm.
Mazda CX-5 (increased by 4,108 vehicles)
The Mazda CX-5 can be considered a “phenomenon” in the Vietnamese automobile market in the second half of 2023. Any model introduced in the segment from B to C faced immense pressure when comparing prices with this model. Thaco brought the facelifted CX-5 to Vietnam in July 2023 with a starting price of 750 million VND (now increased to 759 million VND) – only slightly higher than some urban SUV models of size B and superior in terms of price compared to the same segment competitors.
It was also because of the pressure from this model that a series of C-segment crossovers subsequently had to continuously announce price reductions to compete. Since then, the CX-5 has consistently led the market in terms of sales and ended 2023 with over 16,800 units sold.
Compared to the previous generation, the CX-5 has only minor changes in terms of exterior, added features such as heated seats, heated steering wheel, paddle shifters, Apple CarPlay, and additional safety features for the i-Activsense package. The car has 3 versions: Deluxe, Luxury, and Premium.
Ford Everest (increased by 3,281 vehicles)
The Everest is also one of the successful models in 2023, being the only model with a starting price of over 1 billion VND in the top 10 best-selling vehicles in the market. Since its official launch in the middle of last year, the Ford Everest immediately surpassed its direct competitor, the Toyota Fortuner, to become the best-selling 7-seater SUV in the market. Moving into 2023, this model continues to receive positive feedback from users with stable sales, even without the need for continuous price reductions like its competitors but still maintaining good sales.
This model currently has 4 versions, with the lowest being the Ambiente with a price starting from 1.099 billion VND and the highest being the Wildtrak version priced at 1.499 billion VND. Recent information suggests that the company may introduce a Platinum version to replace the Wildtrak version.
