The a-segment car market continued its sharp decline in April, with total sales reaching only 174 units, marking the lowest level in approximately three years. This is also the first time the entire segment's sales have been attributed to a single model, indicating a significant downturn for small urban cars in Vietnam.

The Hyundai i10 remained the best-selling model in the segment, recording 174 units in April. This figure, though a significant decrease from 255 units sold last month, helped Hyundai's hatchback reach 966 year-to-date sales. It also became the only model to contribute sales to the entire segment last month.

The Toyota Wigo's performance was the most notable, as Toyota's a-segment model sold zero units in April, following only two units sold last month. After the first four months of the year, Wigo's year-to-date sales reached 200 units, a low figure compared to when the a-segment was more active a few years ago. The Japanese model's four-month cumulative sales did not even match its sales in one month last year. Meanwhile, Kia Morning continues not to disclose its sales figures in the Vietnamese market.

Toyota Wigo in the Vietnamese market. Photo: TMV

Once a vibrant mass-market segment, a-segment cars are now gradually becoming a niche market. This shift is due to consumers opting for small sport utility vehicles and b-segment sedans, which have not significantly different prices.

Furthermore, the growing availability of small electric vehicles with comparable prices has diminished the appeal of gasoline-powered a-segment cars as affordable urban transport. This trend has resulted in consistently low segment sales and an increasing dependence on the Hyundai i10 as the dominant model.

Pham Hai