Honda overtakes Toyota in Thailand passenger car market for the first time ever by 3,000 units

Toyota Corolla Altis launch-29

This is crazy news – Honda has overtaken Toyota for the top passenger car sales spot in the Thailand market for the first time ever in history. Honda sold 193,185 passenger cars in Thailand while Toyota sold 190,101, which is about 3,000 units less than Honda. It might seem like a close gap to you, but these numbers represent an 18.2% increase year-on-year for Honda but a 15.4% drop for Toyota.

Toyota attributes the lowered performance in the passenger car market to the Toyota Corolla’s end of life. Production was reduced to make way for the new Toyota Corolla Altis, which was launched in Malaysia this week. Thailand exports the Corolla to Malaysia as well as other markets such as Australia.

“We lost and that is not good, but on the other hand we couldn’t help it, as the Yaris came out only during the final two months while Honda was able to capitalise on its eco-car during the whole year,” said Kyoichi Tanada, president of Toyota Motor Thailand.

New_Toyota_Yaris_Thailand_009

The Toyota Yaris helped Toyota sales pick up in the last two months of 2013, closing the 18,000 unit gap that Honda had built up against Toyota in the first three quarters of the year. Toyota continues to lead the pick-up market with 236,751 units, ahead of Isuzu’s 183,079.

Honda made gains against Toyota in the Malaysian passenger car market in 2013 as well. Honda sales increased from 34,950 units in 2012 to 51,544 units in 2013, while Toyota sales dropped from 74,171 units in 2012 to 61,409 units in 2013, finishing the year with a 10,000-unit lead.

This of course doesn’t include commercial vehicles. If you count that in, Hilux-powered Toyota has a comfortable lead over Honda in Malaysia at 91,185 units compared to Honda’s 51,544. Check out the 2013 sales and production data by MAA to see how every brand did in Malaysia last year.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Ah Beng Kia on Jan 23, 2014 at 6:03 pm

    Gullible sheep everywhere. You believe everything you read online ah???

    Baa…… Baa……

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 21
    • Perodua! on Jan 23, 2014 at 7:02 pm

      Perodua sales volume in Malaysia beats both of them! Proton however, even in the protective market, lost to both of them.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 6
    • Greek on Jan 23, 2014 at 7:25 pm

      Overal Toyota Vehicle sales.

      Still No.1 in Thailand.

      It’s because the Hilux is not consider passenger cars.

      including Hilux, Toyota still no.1.

      Whil with Yaris help. U will see better sales for Toyota in 2014.

      however, City 2014 will also be a great rival.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 12
      • Sam Loo on Jan 23, 2014 at 11:03 pm

        And I am sure that in Thailand, Hilux is also used by used Korean Car dealers to tell kimchi owners that they will only get 50% of purchase price for their 1 year old rotten cabbage

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 17
        • liarsam on Jan 24, 2014 at 12:14 am

          Pakcik you mimpi atau belum makan ubat lagi. Macam budak kecil u

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 8
        • liarsam on Jan 24, 2014 at 12:15 am

          Pakcik you mimpi atau belum makan ubat lagi. Macam budak kecil u

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 8
        • Vader on Jan 24, 2014 at 8:40 am

          Sakit belum sembuh kah?
          Pls to change another doctor then..
          Again, where is your yard, i wanna buy RM60k 1 year old Spoartage!

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 8
    • Green on Jan 23, 2014 at 7:53 pm

      Toyota Hilux.
      Beat ALL Honda Sales in Thailand.

      236,751 Hilux sold vs 193,185 Honda sold @ thailand.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 5
  • Karma! on Jan 23, 2014 at 6:15 pm

    Karma really catching up on them. Malaysia, now thai. I foresee it will be worse with the launching of the lousy price and spec Altis here. Good luck to all the umw cronies here. Statistics don’t lie.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 38 Thumb down 0
  • Datuk on Jan 23, 2014 at 6:19 pm

    hahaha so sam loo, any suggestion?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 0
    • what for on Jan 23, 2014 at 6:42 pm

      Sam Loo comment is not important at all, can just neglect this junior car sales man

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 2
  • As a devout supporter of Honda as a whole, I congratulate Honda Thailand for their accomplishment. Honda still provides an acceptable amout of kits for the price and personally are amongst the best looking, behind Mazda and Kia thou. Honda Malaysia also did a fine job with the better spec and similar priced replacement of their Accord and CRV, and the well spec and price introduction of the jazz CKD and odyssey, and they deserved their sales accomplishment.

    Bravo, thou I hope this years upcoming city(most likely launching this march) vezel and jazz will prove popular over the heated new launch of the Vios, iam thou worried about the Civic, it looks less appealing over the new corolla and of course the upcoming Sylphy.

    Toyota in both countries , I sympathies on your loss but Haha….hope you change that rotten spec and price of yours.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 40 Thumb down 3
  • Maseratits on Jan 23, 2014 at 6:27 pm

    Why doesn’t UMW sell the Yaris here anymore?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 1
  • KPK13U on Jan 23, 2014 at 6:40 pm

    This also partly due to sales numbers that also include the CR-V SUV, which by virtue of its passenger car-like monocoque body construction, is taxed as a passenger car under Thailand’s motor vehicle regulations. Pick-up truck based ladder-frame chassis SUVs like the Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport are classified as a PPV (pick-up passenger vehicle).

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Double burn ! All those Toyota employees in Japan are sweating themselves dry now. Sales down badly in both Malaysia and Thailand, two of the three key markets in ASEAN (the other being Indonesia). New Vios totally failed to save Toyota in 2013.

    Toyota is a dying brand. I have nothing nice to say for their loss. They deserved this wake-up call. Honda’s sales have improved because they are doing something right. Tell me, what has Toyota done right (in ASEAN) in the last 5 years apart from the amazing GT86 ?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 24 Thumb down 4
    • An optimist will always see the glass half full while the pessimist will see it half empty.

      Personally, Toyota have move up quite well, in the case of the Vios and the new corolla, they receive a newer sharper face effectively in an attempt to put an end to years if vanilla and paint-drying-watching boredom, and are now visually more appealing.

      Say what you want on the age of the Vios drivetrain, but the 1NZ-FE now performs better than it did in the previous model in terms of its fuel consumption and the ride is still amongst the most composed in the segment. Old but effective. The new corolla received a new cvt which helps gain a better FC over the previous gen

      On the the wave of safety, the Vios now has a standard but poor safety list throughout the spec list ,be it the bottom J or the high spec TRD Sportivo. And the corolla can be had with an international compliant spec with 7 airbags and vsc.

      Basically, to say they did nothing right is abit of the extreme basher way if saying it, they do make things right but they also did a helluva lot wrong that completely eclipse whatever good will they had.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 3
  • Archangel on Jan 23, 2014 at 6:50 pm

    Congratulations Honda. Maybe there might be a wind of change here in Malaysia where Honda sales could overtake Toyota sales. Only time will tell.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 0
  • NISSpengAN on Jan 23, 2014 at 7:42 pm

    Congratulations to Honda Thailand, Honda n Nissan Malaysia must add oil to beat the hell of Toyota Malaysia

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
  • Green Analysis on Jan 23, 2014 at 7:47 pm

    this is expected.

    with vios and altis change about the same time.. It definitely affect sales.. ..

    on the other side, Honda have Brio sedan to buckle it up. Toyota came out the Yaris Hatchback abit late.

    While @ 2014. It a safe bet that Toyota will take the crown back.

    Yaris hatchback is having Great Welcome in Thailand.
    being the best Value Eco car, biggest in size, best in quality.

    On the other side. Altis is also bigger and more spacious then new Civic.
    #
    ALtis 7 speed, ECO mode on, 100km/h = 26km/L
    Civic 5 speed, Eco mode on, 100km/h = 15.5km/L.
    #
    http://www.autoindustriya.com/car-reviews/2010-toyota-corolla-altis-2-0-v.html
    (new altis 2.0 use same drivetrain as previos facelifeted altis 2.0, hence, 26km/L is achiveable)

    RM140k, quality + space + fuel saving + 7 airbags.
    Better buy then a D-segment. D-segment should use 2.5. else, underpowered.

    While Malaysia Toyota sales, with another 2 new model coming in. 1 camry hyrbid, 1 yaris hatchback.

    this will drive Toyota sales up like crazy in 2014.
    Toyota sales also went down feel years back.. but they do know how to capture market for each segment. and still retain champion shortly after downfall.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 10
    • Rv anyone? on Jan 23, 2014 at 8:49 pm

      Yeah they know how.. By launching Altis with ridiculous price and no vsc. Come on. They know the sales statistic long ago, and yet they still launched a $$ Kosong car 2 days ago.
      I highly suspect they already lost the capture market skill.
      Read the title again, this is the first time ever they lost their crown in Thai.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 1
  • Rv anyone? on Jan 23, 2014 at 8:42 pm

    Now where are all the rv kings hiding?
    Numbers don’t lie right?
    Sam hilux and maserati? Where r u? Hiding in a hole self digged?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0
  • Denaihati on Jan 23, 2014 at 9:36 pm

    truck is very popular in Thailand and become a passenger vehicle too, because it geography, terrain and so reliable i guess. Hilux might be the best, in M’sia we can see many of them still use by farmer C Highland from the old generation…still alive…heee.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1
  • disgruntledBMWowner on Jan 23, 2014 at 9:47 pm

    Of course Toyota’s sale will drop steadily since 2014. Their designs are so ugly. Tried too gard to be agressive. Their head designer should be fired. Like BMW Malaysia, their everyone should be fired especially that lady from BMW voice Chandra Gandhi

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • disgruntledBMWowner on Jan 23, 2014 at 9:50 pm

    Of course Toyota’s sale will drop steadily since 2014. Their designs are so ugly. Tried too hard to be aggressive but failed badly. I feel bad to those who bought the latest camry. Really advertise themselves as a person with low taste and class.Their head designer should be fired. Like BMW Malaysia, their everyone should be fired especially that lady from BMW voice Chandra Gandhi

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Well. Let’s put is this way. So many peoples’ mindset still buy Toyota in the name of RV. At the end of the day, those who praise too much on RV would be the biggest loser.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
  • jaijoe on Jan 23, 2014 at 10:11 pm

    no surprise there for honda since 5 years warranty and unlimited milleage honda sales are picking up. time for toyota and other manufacturers to follow … or else lost marketshare

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • Sam Loo on Jan 23, 2014 at 11:06 pm

    I only deal with used Hyundai, maybe KIA after CNY

    Sushi cars does add to the downward price pressure on kimchis, which makes my margin higher

    As such, I love it when there are new Japs launches, as I can push prices of rotten cabbages lower

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 13 Thumb down 10
    • cakapmacambudak on Jan 24, 2014 at 7:20 am

      Jangan cakap macam budak pakcik, masih mimpi atau ubat pun tak guna?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 7
      • Pakciksakit Kuat on Jan 24, 2014 at 7:11 pm

        Pakcik Sam, masih sakit kah ? Pergi lah tidur, jangan cakap macam cucu saya yang 5 bulan.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • For sure on Jan 24, 2014 at 7:51 am

      Must be very go business for kimchi second hand as I always deal with them. Guess nobody wanting umw cars anymore since the name of tarnished now.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 6
  • The point is.. is Toyota not doing anything… well i mean besides face lifting jobs, sooner or later not only Honda will beat Toyota, but also other brands like Mitsubishi, Isuzu etc…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 2
  • Toy Yoda on Jan 24, 2014 at 12:57 pm

    No figures to support but I think lower sales of the latest Camry is one of the reasons. What were the Toyota designers thinking introducing such poor styling.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Carl Wong on Jan 26, 2014 at 3:25 am

    So HONDA beat them to be the best now :)…….!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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