The taste for car shopping of Vietnamese users has changed significantly recently as SUV and crossover models are increasingly favored thanks to their beautiful designs, flexible mobility, and increasingly competitive prices.
According to the statistics of VAMA and Hyundai Thanh Cong, there were about nearly 130,000 high-riding vehicles sold in Vietnam in the past year, accounting for nearly 35% of the total market share.
In 2024, manufacturers have planned to introduce a series of new models or refresh existing versions for the Vietnamese market. Here are some notable names that promise to create a great buzz in the market.
VinFast VF 3 (estimated price from 250 million VND)
Introduced to the Vietnamese market in mid-2023 but not expected to be delivered to consumers until the fourth quarter of this year, the new commercial VF 3 models have been highly anticipated. This mini electric vehicle is considered a promising segment as it has not attracted many competitors, except for the Wuling HongGuang mini EV model.
VF 3 receives great attention thanks to its sporty design, 3,190 mm in length, and a travel range of about 210 km per charge. The car is equipped with minimalist interiors and many intelligent features.
A recently revealed expected price list shows that the car has 2 versions including base and plus, priced at 250-300 million VND – not including the battery.
Suzuki Jimny (estimated price from 789 million VND)
The “little pepper” Suzuki Jimny has been displayed by many domestic dealerships since before Tet but is still awaiting an official launch, expected around March this year.
This model has long received great attention from domestic users thanks to its unique and distinctive design that stands out from many competitors in the market. The upcoming version to be released is a 3-door version, 3,395 mm in length, and a wheelbase of 2,250 mm. The car uses a 1.5L engine, capable of producing 100 horsepower, combined with a 4-speed automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive.
According to the dealership, the Suzuki Jimny will be priced at 789 million VND for the single-color version, and an additional 10 million VND for the two-tone version. The car is imported fully assembled from Japan.
Kia Seltos facelift
The facelifted version of Kia Seltos was first introduced in August 2022 and made its presence in various markets last year. Meanwhile, the previous version for the Vietnamese market has been present since July 2020 and shows signs of being overtaken by its rival Hyundai Creta.
Therefore, many people believe that this is the right time for Thaco (the official distributor of Kia in Vietnam) to bring the facelifted Seltos to the country and increase competitiveness.
Compared to the previous generation, the new Kia Seltos has some changes in the grille, front lights, alloy wheels, and taillights. Inside, users will have the option of a seamless screen with the instrument cluster, supplemented with some ADAS driving support features.
The current generation Kia Seltos offers 2 engine options including the 1.6L version and the 1.4 Turbo version, divided into Deluxe, Luxury, Premium, X-Line, and GT-Line versions. The price of the car ranges from 599 to 724 million VND.
Hyundai Santa Fe new generation
As one of the “national” crossovers, each new version of the Santa Fe is eagerly awaited by Vietnamese consumers. In this generation, Hyundai continues to completely transform its D-segment SUV with a square-box design, reminiscent of Land Rover models.
Inside, this is also one of the first products to use the ccNC entertainment system with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and central screen, placed on the same slightly curved glass facing the driver. The car is also fully equipped with a series of popular options such as wireless charging, a storage compartment with sterilization function, Bose speakers, sunshades, etc.
This car has already landed in the Philippines market earlier this year. Therefore, many people believe that TC Motor (the official distributor of Hyundai in Vietnam) will quickly bring the new Santa Fe to the country.
In the current generation, Hyundai Santa Fe is distributed with 5 versions, 3 engine options, and prices ranging from 1,029 to 1,369 million VND.
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (estimated price around 3 billion VND)
The premium SUV of Toyota was launched in August 2023 and quickly, Toyota dealers in Vietnam began accepting deposits for this product, with the expected delivery time in the middle of this year.
In the United States and Western Europe, the car is called the Land Cruiser but in some other regions, its name is Land Cruiser Prado to distinguish it from the Land Cruiser LC300 model. This is also likely to be the name for the Vietnamese market.
The 2024 Land Cruiser Prado is equipped with a series of notable features such as adaptive headlights, heated rear seats, heads-up display, and 14 premium speakers. In Vietnam, the car is likely to use a 2.4L turbocharged engine with a capacity of 281 horsepower and a torque of 430 Nm. It is not clear yet whether Toyota will bring a hybrid version to Vietnam or not.
The current-generation Toyota Land Cruiser Prado is priced at 2.628 billion VND in Vietnam. Some sales consultants believe that the expected price for the new generation will be around 3 billion VND.
