Vehicle sales reflect positive sentiment

Vietnam's automotive market has staged a strong comeback, with electrification emerging as the defining trend, spanning fully electric vehicles and the rapid rise of hybrid models.

- By Nguyen Thu

Data released last week by the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) shows that total sales by its member companies reached 375,736 vehicles in 2025, representing an on-year increase of 10.5 per cent.

The recovery gathered strong momentum in the final months of the year, culminating in a sharp 49 per cent surge compared to the same period in 2024.

December marked the clearest turning point. The market recorded sales of just over 47,000 vehicles, up 20 per cent from November and 49 per cent on-year. This was among the strongest monthly results seen in several years, driven largely by aggressive discounting and extensive promotional campaigns rolled out by carmakers during the traditional year-end peak season.

By segment, passenger cars continued to underpin overall demand. In December alone, 35,800 passenger vehicles were sold, rising 25 per cent on-month. Commercial vehicles reached 10,740 units, up 5 per cent, while specialised vehicles totalled just over 500 units, increasing 7 per cent.

The broadly positive performance across all three categories indicates a relatively balanced recovery, extending beyond private consumption to transport, construction and service-related activities.

VAMA said the late-year acceleration reflected improving market sentiment and stronger consumer willingness to spend on big-ticket items.