Vietnamese Northerners Love Passenger Cars, Southerners Prefer MPV, SUV

Vietnamese northern people like driving five-seater cars while those living in the southern part of the country prefer surfing on multipurpose vehicles (MPV) and sport utility vehicles (SUV), the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) said.

 

The southerners bought 7,049 MPVs and SUVs in the first 10 months of this year while the northerners chose 3,990 units, the statistics from the VAMA sales report showed. Southern sales of MPV and SUV models normally doubled northern sales.

 

Meanwhile, five-seat cars are preferred in North Vietnam, where 3,171 five-seaters are sold in the 10 months, accounting for 44 per cent of the country’s total. The southern region consumed only 22 per cent. The different likings partially reflect the “easier with money” habit of the southerners than those in the north, an experienced car trader said.

 

Toyota Vietnam, the largest carmaker in the country, sold 1,068 Vios and Corolla Altis in 10 months in the north but retailed only 655 units in the south, he explained. Similarly, GM Daewoo handed over keys of 655 Matiz sedans to buyers in the north but was able to sell just 155 units in the south.

 

As for luxury car models, the northerners prefer Toyota Camry 2.4L while the southerners want to ride a Mercedes-Benz.

 

The VAMA sales report showed the northern Camry 2.4L sales were 30 per cent higher than in the south while the southern sales of Mercedes-Benz C180K doubled those in the north.