During the first six months of 2025, Vietnamese consumers purchased approximately 83,100 small SUVs, ranging from mini to B+ segments. This represents nearly 33% of the total vehicle sales in the market.

Among the competing brands, Vinfast demonstrated near-absolute dominance. All-electric models like the VF 3, VF 5, and VF 6 were top sellers in their respective segments.

Vinfast claimed three spots on the list of the top 10 best-selling vehicles. Leading the pack were the VF 3 and VF 5, with sales figures of 23,083 and 21,812 units, respectively. These numbers set new records for the Vietnamese auto market for the first half of a calendar year.

Vinfast VF 3 - Vietnam's best-selling small SUV - on display in TP HCM. Photo: Thanh Nhan

Vinfast VF 3 - Vietnam's best-selling small SUV - on display in TP HCM. Photo: Thanh Nhan

Along with the VF 6, Vinfast's trio of small SUVs sold over 53,400 units, capturing roughly 64% of the segment's market share. Vinfast is pursuing an SUV-focused strategy. Currently, all of its models on the market are SUVs.

Similar to Vinfast, Toyota also distributes three small SUV models in Vietnam: the Raize (A+ segment), Yaris Cross (B segment), and Corolla Cross (B+ segment). While the Raize lags behind its competitors, the other two models lead sales in their segments (considering only gasoline and hybrid vehicles).

The combined performance of these three models propelled Toyota to dominate gasoline vehicle sales and placed it just behind Vinfast in overall rankings. The Japanese automaker holds nearly 13% of the small SUV market share, with the Yaris Cross contributing the most, selling 5,420 units in six months.

During their peak in 2023-2024, the Sonet and Seltos helped Kia dominate the small SUV segment. However, the emergence of Japanese competitors and the rising popularity of affordable electric vehicles have diminished the appeal of Kia's two flagship products. In the first half of 2025, Kia sold over 5,000 vehicles in this segment, accounting for about 6.1% of the market share.

Mitsubishi and Hyundai are vying for market share around the 5% mark. The Xforce is Mitsubishi's sole offering in this segment. During the first half of 2025, the Xforce was overtaken by the Toyota Yaris Cross, but the gap remains relatively small.

Hyundai competes in the small SUV segment with two models, the Creta and Venue. Before 2024, the Creta was the best-selling gasoline-powered vehicle in the B segment. However, the arrival of the Xforce and Yaris Cross dethroned the Creta. The A+ segment Venue has seen modest sales, facing stiffer competition from the Kia Sonet and Toyota Raize.

Honda and Mazda hold approximately 3% of the small SUV market share. Models like the HR-V, CX-3, and CX-30 have significantly lower sales figures compared to their competitors.

Pham Trung