After 8 months, Vios sold over 14,000 cars, dominating the B-class sedan segment.

B-class sedans are generally the segment with leading sales volume in the market. This is the most accessible group of sedans, intended for first-time car buyers or a combination for personal and business uses.

In August, the sales of models in class B did not change much. Hyundai Accent rose to the best-selling position in the segment, reaching 1,172 units, but only 39 units higher than Toyota Vios. Honda City followed closely behind with sales of more than 700 vehicles.

Accumulated from the beginning of 2022, Toyota’s model still shows the greatest attraction. Strong brand, stable supply, with various versions to choose from, durable engine, Vios converges many factors to become the first choice for customers who prioritize saving on usage costs, before switching to higher segments.

The gap between Vios and Accent is not wide, about more than 1,300 cars after 8 months. In 2021, it was the Hyundai that overthrew the Vios’ throne for the first time in 7 years. However, the sales volume of only 25 cars higher than Vios in the past year cannot be a measure to confirm the attraction of Accent to become a new consumer trend in the market, instead of Vios.

Vios has a large sales volume belonging to the service business group, but 2021 was overshadowed by Covid-19, so sales were affected more heavily. According to experts, Accent or City are also used for business purposes, but the rate compared to Toyota models is not as high.

The B-sized sedan group has another contender, Suzuki Ciaz. This model is imported from Thailand and since the launch of the version with Euro5 engine from May, there has never been a month when Ciaz sales have reached double digits. Accumulated from the beginning of the year, only 21 units were sold. Low supply, lackluster appeal, few selections, Ciaz is a typical example of the vicious circle of the Suzuki brand in the car segment. It comes from the objective factors of the market and the way of operating bearing many internal problems of the Japanese company.

There are 7 models participating in the segment (including only those with sales figures) in the B/B- segment, divided into 2 distinct groups. Vios, Accent, City, and Ciaz form a quartet of true B-sized cars. With the intention of avoiding direct confrontation with competitors that were present early and successful in the market, looking for niches in lower customer segments, Mitsubishi has Attrage, Kia has Soluto, and Mazda has Mazda2. These models make up the B- (B minus) sedan group.

Particularly for the B-size car group, Mitsubishi Attrage is the best-selling name. In August, Attrage sold 438 cars, accumulating nearly 5,000, slightly better than rival Kia Soluto by nearly 2,000 units.

Attrage and Mazda2 are two models imported from Thailand, while Soluto is assembled domestically. In the customer segment that prioritizes initial investment costs, Truong Hai’s high pricing partly makes it difficult for Mazda2 (the most expensive group B-) to reach customers, thus the lowest sales.

The Mitsubishi Attrage has a more balanced approach to the market. Attrage is only marginally better than Soluto, the lowest priced car in the market by VND 10-15 million VND but has a stronger brand name. The Attrage’s fuel economy is among the best in its segment, along with the Dynamic Shield design, helps the Attrage lead the way in sales.

In general, the B-segment also has the Nissan Almera model imported from Thailand, but the distributor does not disclose sales figures.

Source: vnexpress.net