Thailand April 2016: Honda Civic up 4-fold to land on podium

It’s a Honda Civic invasion: 2.408 Thai sales in April alone.

* Now updated with the Top 35 All-brands and Top 65 models *

For the third time in the past 6 months, the Thai new light vehicle market is up year-on-year at +2% to 54.986 registrations, with the year-to-date total now down just 6% to 236.546 units. On paper, Toyota is back on track in the brands ranking with sales up 12% to 14.839 and 27% share, but it’s not that clearcut. At the same time last year the Toyota Hilux was in the middle of a generation changeover, giving it a 41% rise to 6.927 sales this month, yet this is still an astounding 3.000 units below its archenemy the Isuzu D-Max which only needed a mild refresh to gain 4%. The D-Max cements its year-to-date leadership at 42.248 units so far in 2016 (+7%), each month moving further out of reach of the Hilux now at 33.226 (-12%). The other thorn on Toyota’s side has been the Vios, whose production has been stalled to give way of the 2016 model with a new 1.5 Dual VVT-i engine. It is now back with 1.765 sales, albeit 19% down year-on-year and lagging behind segment leader the Honda City (2.291). Lastly, with sales down 21% to 1.052, the Corolla has been hit full frontal by the arrival of the new generation Civic posting extraordinary numbers at 2.408 deliveries in third place overall.

The facelifted Chevrolet Colorado was unveiled in Thailand on April 26. 

Back to the brands ranking where Isuzu holds strong at #2 and 21.7% share (+2%) above Honda at 16.6% (+6%). Below Mitsubishi at #4 (-3%), Mazda continues to gear up with sales up 13% to 3.443 and 6.3% share, overtaking Nissan this month (-29% to 5.3%). Chevrolet is down 24% and awaits the arrival of the facelifted Colorado with impatience. Chinese carmaker MG is up 5-fold on April 2015 to break its market share record at a splendid 1.3%: the MG 3 is up 6-fold to #25, the MG 5 up 6 spots on last month to #41, the MG GS up 3 to #51 and the MG 6 up 117% year-on-year to #54. In other models news, the Mazda2 is starting to threaten the Honda City with sales up 37% to 1.854, the Ford Ranger is strong at #6 (+25%), the Toyota Fortuner (+231%) continues to benefit from the new model a lot more than the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport (+131%) and the Honda BR-V recedes 7 spots on March to #18.

Previous month: Thailand March 2016: Isuzu D-Max increases gap over Toyota Hilux

One year ago: Thailand April 2015: Hilux changeover lifts Isuzu D-Max to #1 year-to-date

Full April 2016 Top 35 All-brands and Top 65 models below.