The COVID-19 pandemic caused a massive car sales plunge in the global automotive market. The automotive industry in Southeast Asian countries has also recorded a significant drop in car sales last 2020. The ASEAN Automotive Federation has recorded one of the worst collapses in car sales in the history of ASEAN countries last year.
However, there are still few notable cars that have strived amid the pandemic which helped ASEAN markets survive the economic crisis. Some of these cars retained their spot last year as the best-selling vehicle in their respective market, while some cars have made their way to the top.
With that being said, let’s take a look at the best-sellers of each country in Southeast Asia. Of note, there are some countries where we couldn’t find actual data for their best-selling car in 2020 including Timor-Leste, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Singapore.
Philippines: Toyota Vios
It's impossible to not spot one on Philippine roads
One can say that the Philippines is the home of Japanese car brand Toyota due to its popularity among Filipino car buyers. Needless to say, the Toyota Vios is the best-selling vehicle in the country in 2020 with 25,290 units sold. The Vios is Toyota’s challenger in the Philippine subcompact sedan segment, rivaling the likes of the Honda City and Mitsubishi Mirage G4. If you want to get a Toyota vehicle but have a limited budget, you can take a look at used cars.
Laos: Toyota Hilux
A popular choice among consumers who want a truck
Laos is another country dominated by Toyota. The Japanese car brand is followed by Korean carmaker Hyundai and American carmaker Ford, respectively. The country’s best-selling unit for 2020 is the Toyota Hilux with 2,817 units sold. Toyota’s pickup truck is also one of the most produced units not only in Southeast Asia, but also around the world last year including Australia.
Malaysia: Perodua Myvi
The only non-Japanese vehicle to top-off sales on this list
Perodua is Malaysia’s largest car manufacturer which was first launched in 1992. And in 2006, Perodua’s subcompact sedan entry, the Myvi, has been a constant best-seller on a year-to-year basis including in 2020. It is followed by the Axia hatchback and Bezza subcompact sedan in Perodua’s lineup. The Malaysian carmaker managed to sell a total of 220,163 units in 2020, recording a whopping 49.4-percent market share in the Malaysian automotive market.
Indonesia: Honda Brio
A sporty-looking hatchback at an affordable price
Honda’s hatchback, the Brio, made its way to the top of the Indonesian automotive market, selling a total of 40,879 units in 2020. The Honda Brio knocked the long-time running best-seller in the said market, the Toyota Avanza, off the number one spot which is now third in the list. The second best-selling car in the Indonesian automotive market last year is the Suzuki Carry which recorded 38,072 sales.
Vietnam: Toyota Vios
The Toyota Vios is popular in Southeast Asian automotive markets
The Toyota Vios tops both the Philippine and Vietnamese automotive markets. The Japanese carmaker managed to sell 29,891 Vios units in Vietnam, followed by the Hyundai Accent with 20,776 units sold.
>>> Related: 10 best car brands in the Philippines 2020 based on sales
Thailand: Isuzu D-Max
The new king of the hill
The Isuzu D-Max made headlines when it dethroned the Toyota Hilux in the Thai automotive market last year. The Toyota Hilux has always been the number one seller in the said market for more than a decade. With that being said, the future of Isuzu D-Max is bright in the Thai market especially now that the Japanese carmaker has released the model’s next-gen model in 2021 which sports a sleeker and more aggressive look.
Other Southeast Asian countries
In Singapore, luxury car brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz compete alongside Toyota and Honda in the top best-selling car brands in 2020 despite the effects of the economic crisis. On the other hand, the Toyota Wigo is said to be the most popular car in Brunei and it is the only country Southeast Asian country to record an increase in sales last year.
Luxury vehicles are common sights in Singapore
Meanwhile, Myanmar and Cambodia managed to sell 16,389 vehicles and 3,490 vehicles in 2020, respectively. The most popular car in Myanmar is the Suzuki Ciaz subcompact sedan. No data has been found for the 2020 car sales figures for Timor-Leste.
Here at Philkotse.com, we value your interest in the automotive industry. Visit our website to find out more.
Know more about Toyota Vios 2024
Competing in the subcompact sedan segment, the Toyota Vios 2024 is the top sales contributor for the Japanese automaker. The price for the Toyota Vios in the Philippines ranges from PHP 732,000 to PHP 1,054,000. A total of 7 Toyota Vios variants are offered, with the top-of-the-line Vios G CVT variant coming with a tag of PHP 1,039,000. Two engine options are available in the range, which can be connected to either a 5-speed manual or continuously variable transmission (CVT). Dimensions-wise, the subcompact sedan spans 4,425 mm in length, 1,730 mm in width, and 1,475 mm in height. The main rivals of the Toyota vehicle include the Honda City, Mitsubishi Mirage G4, and Nissan Almera.
The Toyota Vios is not only the best-selling model in the Japanese automaker's lineup, but the entire Philippine market. It serves as a reliable subcompact sedan for those who are looking for a daily driver. Also, the Vios is proudly Philippine-assembled which supports Filipino automotive workers. Now, the vehicle is competing in its respective class head high using the refreshed body released by Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) in the country in 2020.
>>> New and used Toyota Vios 2024 for sale in the Philippines
Toyota Vios Launch
In 2002, Toyota introduced the first-generation Vios in the Philippines. A few years later in 2007, the second-generation sedan was launched. This version gained the "Batman" nickname due to the shape of its grille.
Several years onwards In 2013, Toyota brought in the third-gen Toyota Vios. It has grown in size, and it also came with a larger engine. The Toyota-made sedan was given a major update in 2018. It bore a new exterior design, and it also gained the upmarket Prime variants as well.
More recently in 2020, Toyota Motor Philippines launched another refresh of the Toyota Vios model. It's fitted with sportier fascia, a new grille, a new pair of headlamps, a revised foglamp housing, and a new lower grille, among others.
In March of 2021, TMP then introduced the Toyota Vios GR-S.
Toyota Vios Exterior
Up front, the Toyota Vios for the Philippines comes with a front end that mirrors the current designs of high-end models like the Corolla Altis and the Camry. The said design features a wide-slatted grille, flanked by the angular fog lamp housing. For the high-trim GR-S and G, the headlamps are three-tier LEDs with integrated LED daytime running lamps. The rest of the variants get a pair of four-bulb halogen headlights.
For the side and the rear, not much has changed since the previous version. The GR-S stands out from the rest of the variants with its black-colored exterior pieces, rear spoiler, and rear lower bumper with an integrated diffuser.
The Toyota Vios G
Apart from those, the Toyota Vios GR-S for the Philippine market also has different-looking side skirts and a set of GR-S 16-inch alloy wheels. The G variant on the other hand still has a piano black grille, but it gets chrome-plated door handles instead of the black-colored ones found on the GR-S.
The all-new 2021 Toyota Vios GR-S
>>> Related: 2021 Toyota Vios GR-S review by Philkotse
Toyota Vios Interior
The Toyota Vios for the Philippine market can offer seating for up to five occupants including the driver. For the top-spec GR-S and G variants, they both come equipped with automatic air-conditioning. For the most part, the Toyota Vios' dashboard are made out of sturdy plastic, combined with silver-colored accents.
Soft touch points for the Vios are also abundant. The Toyota-made sedan's door cards are made out of a combination of plastic, and a soft, fabric-covered material. There's also the presence of a center elbow-rest.
The Interior Of The Toyota Vios G
As for the seats, most variants except the GR-S come with fabric seats. The GR-S instead has synthetic leather with red contrast stitching, combined with suede pieces.
The rear seats of the Toyota Vios
To keep occupants comfortable, both the GR-S and G Vios variants are equipped with automatic air-conditioning systems. The rest of the trim levels on the other hand come with a manual air-conditioning system.
Inside the Toyota Vios GR-S
>>> Related: Toyota Vios for sale at good prices on Philkotse.com
Features & Technology
For entertainment, the Toyota Vios GR-S, and the Vios G variants for the Philippine market come standard with a 6.75-inch touchscreen headunit. The said headunit is also capable of connecting via Bluetooth, USB, and Aux jack.
The Vios G's touchscreen headunit
The mid-tier XLE and XE trims also have the aforementioned headunit, but these come with a four-piece speaker set instead. The Vios J on the other hand comes standard with a 2-DIN audio unit linked to two speakers.
Besides the aforementioned touchscreen, the GR-S is also equipped with the Gazoo Racing 4.2-inch TFT multi-information display. Other variants do get an Optitron gauge cluster, as well as a multi-information display. The GR-S and the G also come with a push-to-start button, a leather-clad shift lever, and a drive-mode selector. All Vios variants also come standard with a tilt-adjustable steering wheel column.
The tech and convenience features will vary depending on the variant of the Toyota Vios
For safety, the GR-S and G variants are equipped with dual-front airbags, side airbags, curtain shield airbags, and driver's knee airbags. The rest of the trim levels have dual-front airbags, and the airbag for the driver's knee.
Anti-lock braking with electronic brake-force distribution, stability control, traction control, and hill-start assist are available on all Vios trims. Only the GR-S and G come with a rear-view camera, and only the former has a clearance sonar.
>>> See more: New and used Toyota Vios for sale in the Philippines at the best price
Platform & Chassis
The refreshed Toyota Vios for the Philippine market still uses the same platform as the previous model. As before, higher trim levels have disc brakes all around.
For suspensions, the Vios uses a MacPherson Strut type for the front and a torsion beam-type suspension for the rear. Moreover, the engine is still positioned transversely, with the power sent to the front wheels.
Engine & Drivetrain
The Toyota Vios for the Philippine market has two engine options. The larger one is a 1.5-liter inline-4 engine capable of making up to 106 hp and 140 Nm of torque. This said engine is available on the GR-S and the G Trim. For the former, it is paired to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) only. The Vios G can either come with a CVT or a five-speed manual transmission.
The Toyota Vios G's 1.5-liter mill
The other engine option for the Vios is a 1.3-liter inline-4 engine. At most, this mill can produce up to 98 hp, and 123 Nm of torque. For the XLE, the said engine can be paired with a CVT or a five-speed transmission. The 1.3 XE's sole transmission is a CVT, while the J comes standard with a five-speed manual transmission only.
The gear shift lever of the Vios GR-S
>>> Also check out:
- Toyota Vios 2020 Philippines Review: Join the club
- 2021 MG 5 vs Toyota Vios Comparison: Spec Sheet Battle
Toyota Vios 2024 Price List
| Variants | Price |
|---|---|
| Toyota Vios 1.3 J MT | ₱732,000 |
| Toyota Vios 1.3 XE CVT | ₱774,000 |
| Toyota Vios 1.3 XLE MT | ₱862,000 |
| Toyota Vios 1.3 XLE CVT | ₱902,000 |
| Toyota Vios 1.5 G MT | ₱979,000 |
| Toyota Vios 1.5 G MT (White Pearl) | ₱994,000 |
| Toyota Vios 1.5 G CVT | ₱1,039,000 |
₱ 732,000 - ₱ 1,055,000
Explore
Recent posts
- mandatory seminar license renewal still pending Apr 01, 2021
- dotr bike infrastructure survey Mar 23, 2021
- why pickups are popular for Filipinos Mar 18, 2021
