Toyota ‘Missing’ in Top 10 Best Selling Cars in Vietnam in February 2024
In the Top 10 Best Selling Cars in Vietnam in February 2024, the most notable thing is the “disappearance” of the Toyota brand. This is a big surprise as the Japanese carmaker often leads the market and has 2-3 models in the top 10 best selling cars.
In December 2023, the Toyota Vios was number 1 in the overall market, the Toyota Veloz Cross was number 7, and the Toyota Yaris Cross was number 8 in the top 10 best selling cars. Throughout 2023, the Toyota Vios ranked 5th and the Corolla Cross ranked 8th in the top 10 best selling cars of the year. In January 2024, the Toyota Vios dropped to number 7. However, in February 2024, for the first time in many years, the Toyota brand did not have any representatives in the top selling cars of the month.
No Toyota cars in the top 10 rankings of February. Data: VAMA, Hyundai. Photo: Legal Life
Within Toyota itself, in February 2024, the Toyota Raize sold 181 cars and took the lead in sales. Interestingly, the “national car” Toyota Vios – the former number 1 in sales – remains quite subdued with only 170 cars delivered, a sharp decrease of 354 cars compared to the previous month, ranking number 2.
Toyota Vios – the former number 1 in sales. Photo: Toyota Vietnam
The Toyota Vios is considered the “national car” in the Vietnamese market, often ranking among the best-selling cars thanks to its affordable price, good resale value, easy repair and replacement of parts. Despite this decline, the Vios had a golden year in 2022, ranking among the top 3 best-selling cars in Vietnam.
Toyota Raize: Toyota’s New “Hope”?
In recent years, compact SUVs have been growing in popularity. This type of car is favored by many Vietnamese consumers because of its reasonable price and practicality, spacious interior.
Data shows that compact SUVs continue to be a popular choice among Vietnamese consumers. In the top 10 best-selling cars in 2023, 7 models belonged to this category.
Toyota Raize is currently the cheapest A-segment SUV in the Vietnamese market. Photo: Toyota Vietnam
Therefore, it is understandable that a popular sedan like the Vios had to give up its top position in sales in Vietnam (within Toyota) to the Raize. The Raize is cheaper and has many advantages of a compact SUV, which is the trend of young customers.
Since its introduction in late 2021, the Raize has attracted attention as a multipurpose urban car targeting young individuals with low ownership costs. The Raize has many highlights, the most notable being that it is the only model in its segment that is imported completely built-up from Indonesia. After adjustments, the current price of the 2024 Toyota Raize is only 498 million VND.
The Toyota Raize has the advantage over its competitors as it is a completely built-up model from Indonesia. Photo: Giao Thong Newspaper
In terms of design, the exterior of the Toyota Raize is youthful, distinctive, with details such as a large grille, 17-inch alloy wheels, shark fin antenna, and a two-tone color scheme with a sporty feel. This square, modern design follows the trend of the global automotive industry in recent years. The Raize has overall dimensions of 4,030×1,710×1,605 mm, a wheelbase of 2,525 mm, a ground clearance of 200 mm, a minimum turning radius of 5.1 m, an unloaded weight of 1,035 kg, and a fuel tank capacity of 36 liters.
Under the hood, the Toyota Raize uses a 1.0-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine with a maximum power of 98 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, and a peak torque of 140 Nm from 2,400-4,000 rpm. The Raize comes with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a fuel consumption of 5.6 liters/100 km in mixed driving conditions.
In terms of features, the Toyota Raize is equipped with a smart push-button start, a 7-inch digital instrument cluster with 4 display modes, a 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone connectivity, and automatic air conditioning.
Noteworthy safety features on the Toyota Raize include 6 airbags. Along with that are the anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), vehicle stability control (VSC), traction control (TRC), hill-start assist control (HAC), speed-sensing door locks, blind-spot monitoring (BSM), rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA), front/rear parking sensors, and a reverse camera.
Photo: Toyota Vietnam
Clearly, the advantage of the Raize is its compact size, versatility in urban areas, and also its ability to meet the travel needs of young people with good acceleration and fuel efficiency.
But remember, the Raize only has more advantages within Toyota! Because when we look at the competition with the Kia Sonet, this car is much higher up: ranking 5th in overall sales in February 2024. Will the Raize be able to surpass it?
