It seemed that policy adjustments and a recovery in purchasing power would further boost the growth of the pickup truck segment; however, sales in this segment unexpectedly declined. The Toyota Hilux lost its momentum, relinquishing its leading position in the sales race to the Ford Ranger.
How many cars will Vietnamese people buy in the first half of 2026?
Despite the removal of the "bottleneck," pickup truck sales have yet to improve.
Starting in July 2026, "double-cab pickup trucks and vans with a total weight not exceeding 3,500 kg will be subject to traffic regulations similar to passenger cars," as stipulated in Article 11 of Decree 241/2026/ND-CP, amending and supplementing several clauses of Article 24 (Decree 165/2024/ND-CP). This regulation partially resolves the bottleneck for pickup truck users, as this specialized vehicle type is no longer subject to the same traffic restrictions as regular trucks. This opens up opportunities for growth in the pickup truck segment in Vietnam, especially given the signs of recovering purchasing power since June 2026 and continuing into July 2026. However, reality has not met expectations.
As policy bottlenecks gradually eased, opening up growth prospects, the pickup truck market unexpectedly stalled in sales.
Photo: Ford
As policy bottlenecks gradually eased, opening up growth prospects, the pickup truck market unexpectedly experienced a sales slowdown. The latest sales figures from the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA) show that in July 2026, pickup truck sales reached only 1,887 units, a decrease of 204 units (9.8%) compared to June 2026, and a decrease of 18% (415 units) compared to the same period last year. Notably, this was also the lowest sales figure for the pickup truck segment in Vietnam in the past three months.
This is partly due to the uneven growth among models in the pickup truck segment in Vietnam last July. While the Ford Ranger regained its growth momentum, it wasn't particularly impressive, and the Toyota Hilux unexpectedly plummeted due to unreliable supply. The Isuzu D-Max saw growth, but it couldn't offset the decline of the Mitsubishi Triton.
Furthermore, it must be acknowledged that while the price war is rampant in the Vietnamese automotive market, it has been relatively quiet in the pickup truck segment. The Ford Ranger, after adding a new version and raising its price point, no longer retains its previous appeal. Meanwhile, the Toyota Hilux and Isuzu D-Max are not receiving the same discounts and promotions from their manufacturers as before.
In July 2026, pickup truck sales reached only 1,887 units, a decrease of 204 units, or 9.8%, compared to June 2026.
Photo: Ba Hung
Ford Ranger reclaims the top spot from Toyota Hilux.
The most notable highlight in the pickup truck sales race this past July was the slowdown of the Toyota Hilux. Having surpassed the Ford Ranger in June 2026 and achieving sales of 1,000 units, Toyota's pickup truck failed to maintain its sales growth momentum in July 2026.
Toyota Hilux closely trails Ford Ranger, making the pickup truck segment increasingly competitive.
According to sales figures released by VAMA, only 718 Toyota Hilux vehicles were sold in July, a decrease of 282 units compared to the previous month. This result caused the Toyota Hilux to relinquish its leading position to the Ford Ranger. The American pickup truck sold 973 units, an increase of 121 units compared to June 2026. While not a particularly impressive growth considering the model's recent improvements, it was enough for the Ford Ranger to regain its leading position.
At the end of the first seven months of 2026, the Ford Ranger, with nearly 8,000 units sold, is creating a sales gap of more than 3,000 units compared to the Toyota Hilux.
Pickup truck sales in Vietnam in July 2026
Source: VAMA
In the lower half of the rankings, the Mitsubishi Triton continued to show fluctuating sales results, selling only 141 units, a decrease of 80 units compared to the previous month. Meanwhile, the Isuzu D-Max, despite having the lowest sales in the segment, is showing positive signs with 55 units sold, an increase of 37 units compared to the previous month.
In the first half of 2026, total pickup truck sales in Vietnam reached 14,764 units, an increase of 1,133 units, equivalent to nearly 7.7%, compared to the same period last year.