Stalled Sales: Many Car Models Facing Sluggish Demand

The Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) has released its October 2025 sales report, showing 37,910 vehicles sold, a 24% increase from September but a 2% decline compared to the same period last year. Notably, several models are struggling, with only a handful sold each month.

Among them, Toyota’s Corolla Hybrid sold just 4 units, up 3 from the previous month, thanks to a nearly $50 million VND discount, bringing the price below 850 million VND. Toyota’s Alphard MPV also saw sluggish sales, with only 13 units sold, down 5 from September.

In the electric vehicle segment, the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E recorded very low sales, with only 8 units sold in October (down 5). The Ford Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s lowest-selling model in Vietnam, while other Ford models typically achieve around 1,000 units per month.

When launched in August, the Ford Mustang Mach-E was expected to make a mark in Vietnam, but its price tag of nearly 2.5 billion VND deterred buyers. Despite a 250 million VND price cut, sales remain low.

Kia also joins the slow-selling group with its New Sorento Hybrid 7-seater, which sold only 10 units (down 3). The compact Kia Morning sold 29 units, a decrease of 3.

The K5 and Soluto sedans sold 23 and 22 units, respectively, slightly up from September.

For Honda, the Accord sedan continues to struggle, with only 3 units delivered, down 2 from the previous month. Dealerships are offering discounts of up to 200 million VND per unit, bringing the price to around 1.1 billion VND to boost year-end sales.

Notably, Honda’s high-performance Civic Type R sold no units in October, following just 1 unit sold in September. The standard Civic sold 36 units (down 9), while the Civic Hybrid achieved 33 units.

In the compact import segment, the Suzuki Jimny sold 17 units, despite price cuts of over 100 million VND. Industry insiders note that its price tag above 800 million VND makes this small vehicle less appealing to buyers.

Another Suzuki model, the Swift, sold only 57 units, down 13 from the previous month.

A manager at a car showroom in Bình Trưng Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, noted that despite various promotions, sales for many models remain challenging. “Without substantial discounts, sales would be even lower. The main issue is that these models are priced higher than the average in their segments,” he commented.