The Elusive Crown: Unpredictable Automotive Segment in Vietnam

The Vietnamese auto market has witnessed a series of segment leaders with outstanding sales figures year after year. Notable mentions include the Ford Ranger in the pickup truck segment, the Mazda CX-5 in the C-segment crossover category, and the Toyota Camry in the D-segment sedan sector.

However, there’s a unique segment where the sales crown has consistently changed hands over the years: the urban compact SUV category.

As of the end of May 2025, last year’s sales leader, the Mitsubishi XForce, is showing signs of slowing down with 3,144 units sold, while the current top-selling model, the Toyota Yaris Cross, has sold 4,270 vehicles.

While the gap between the two models is just over 1,000 units, considering the past two months’ performance, with the Yaris Cross selling over 1,000 units monthly and the XForce managing only around 600, certain drastic measures would be required for the latter to regain its lead.

Historical data also doesn’t favor the Mitsubishi XForce. From 2020 until now, only one model has managed to retain the sales crown for two consecutive years: the Toyota Corolla Cross (2021 and 2022). In other years, the title has changed hands, from the Hyundai Kona in 2020 (discontinued since) to the Hyundai Creta in 2023, and then to the Mitsubishi XForce in 2024. Notably, both the Corolla Cross and Hyundai Creta claimed the top spot in their second year on the market—the year they had a full year of sales to compete with rivals. The XForce, however, achieved this feat in its debut year, an even more impressive accomplishment.

This trend suggests that the urban compact SUV segment favors new entrants, reflecting consumers’ preference for novelty, technology, and fashion in a segment targeting younger buyers and first-time car owners.

This year, the market has seen the introduction of new players in this segment, such as the Omoda C5 from Omoda & Jaecoo and the Coolay from Geely. However, experts believe that these newcomers are unlikely to cause a significant upset, despite their competitive pricing. The biggest disadvantage for these brands is their lack of established brand recognition.

While Omoda and Geely have not disclosed sales figures for their respective models, it is common for brands that choose not to report sales data in the Vietnamese market to have lower sales volumes. Unofficial sources also confirm that most new Chinese brands like BYD, O&J, and Geely have modest sales, averaging a few hundred units per month across all their models.

Returning to the urban compact SUV segment, sales for these vehicles have generally declined compared to last year, following the overall market trend. Hyundai is pinning its hopes on the recently upgraded Creta, which has sold 2,269 units in the first five months, ranking fourth in the segment.

The Honda HR-V and Kia Seltos are close behind, with sales of over 2,100 and 2,000 units, respectively, while the Mazda CX-3 has sold nearly 1,200 vehicles.

With the current sales trend, 2025 could mark the third consecutive year of declining sales for urban compact SUVs in Vietnam, following a peak of nearly 70,000 units sold in 2022.