3:26:36 PM | 7/8/2005
Vietnam is still a big market for new automobile manufacturers as local demand keeps growing, according to automakers and experts.
The market will become much bigger as the government recently ordered that 31,000 outdated trucks and buses be kept off the road from 2005 to 2007 and that 55,000 more cong nong - rural light truck-tractors – will be removed after 2007, they said.
"We are now introducing trucks and will roll out buses of 35-47 seats and 7-seater sedans," Tran Ba Duong, director of Truong Hai Auto Co. said about presenting Chinese-made Foton trucks to the Vietnamese market.
Previously the trend for foreign-led automakers when they entered the Vietnamese market was to sell cars small cars less then five seats
Three years ago, Vidamco's plan to produce buses of nearly 50 seats sank into oblivion after providing 200 buses for Hanoi and exporting about 300 units to Iraq.
However, the demand for cars of between six and nine seats has increased sharply over the past two years. Toyota recorded sales of 12,000 seven-seater Zace in five years, accounting for over 25 per cent of total cars sold by 11 car joint ventures in 10 consecutive years.
Ford has decided to release seven-seated Ford Everest while Vinastar is planning new Mitsubishi lines.
Honda Vietnam has gained the license to manufacture 9-seat cars while the Taiwan-invested VMEP has applied to invest US$70 million to turn out 7-seat automobiles.
Local automakers like Truong Hai Auto Co., Xuan Kien Auto Co. and VEAM are also planning to make commercial cars.
Vietnamese
