- Honda just introduced three new SUVs this month:

- the e:Ny1 which is a kind of HRV with an electric motorisation (B/C segment) 4.39 m long equipped with a 150 kW (204 hp) electric motor and a 69 kWh battery capacity,

- the ZRV which is a 4.57m long C-segment SUV based on the Civic sedan and powered by a 2-liter full hybrid (HEV) engine developing 184 hp (or 135 kW)

- the new generation of the 4.70 m long CRV equipped with the same full hybrid engine as the ZRV and for the first time a 2-litre plug-in hybrid engine (PHEV). The price is estimated at 45,000 euros for the e:Ny1, 40,000 euros for the ZRV and 50,000 euros for the CRV.

- The ZRV is expected to be the best-selling of the three in Europe. Honda presents it as the SUV version of the Civic, 2 cm longer but above all 20 cm higher. The problem is that Honda's market share in Europe has been steadily shrinking over the years, and so you shouldn't expect big sales figures for the ZRV, and even less for the other two new SUVs.

- Honda is instead targeting the Chinese and American markets. Indeed, these three new models are made in China. They will therefore be imported into Europe from China.

- The ZRV, which fits into the Honda range between the HRV and the CRV, competes in Europe with C-segment SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan (4.52 m), Renault Austral (4.51 m), Peugeot 3008 (4.45 m), Citroën C5 Aircross (4.50 m), Kia Sportage (4.52 m) and Hyundai Tucson (4.50 m). The e:NY1 instead faces the Peugeot e-2008, Opel e-Mokka, Hyundai Kona e, Smart 01 and Volvo EX30.

- The pick-ups which represent 4 million units per year in the world are divided into two main categories: those of the medium range (like the Ford Ranger) and those of the high range (like the Ford F-Series).

- Pick-ups in the high range are made up of less than ten models and represent in volume almost 2 million units per year. They are primarily produced and sold in the United States. The American carmakers GM (Chevrolet, GMC), Ford and Chrysler (Ram) practically monopolize this category in which the Japanese Toyota and Nissan remain very marginal. They are facing a relatively less popularity for three years. Carmakers will have to switch from combustion engines to electric motors, which will not be so simple, given what this market represents, essentially based on four models (Ford F Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Ram pick-up, GMC Sierra).

- Mid-range pick-ups are made up of more models and represent 2 million units per year in volume. In addition to GM, Ford and Chrysler, it is the Japanese carmakers that monopolize most of the category (Toyota, Nissan Mitsubishi, Isuzu). These vehicles are sold all over the world and are produced in four main countries: Thailand, which remains the leader, followed by the United States, Argentina and South Africa. This is a category that has remained stable in terms of sales for five years. The electrification of this range has not yet started. Carmakers, mainly Japanese, are reluctant to switch combustion engines to electric motors, as they are not yet really pushed by the locals regulations.

- The middle and heavy truck market in the USA stands at 160,000 units over the first 4 months of 2023, which augurs for a volume of approximately 480,000 units over the whole year, compared to 475,000 units in 2022, 460,000 in 2021 and 410,000 in 2020.
The truck market in the USA is therefore stabilizing after a strong increase recorded between 2020 and 2022 (+16%). We are in fact returning to pre-Covid levels.

- This stabilization of the truck market in the USA contrasts with the 10% increase in US sales of passenger cars (including SUVs and MPVs) and pick-ups over the same period. 

- The leading truck brand in the USA remains Freightliner which is a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks and which holds 34% of the market. The International brand of the Navistar group (subsidiary of Volkswagen) is second, with 14% of the market, followed by Ford (12%), Peterbilt (9%) and Kenworth (9%). These last two brands form the Paccar group, which should not be confused with the former luxury car brand Packard, which ceased operations in 1958. The Paccar group holds 18% of the truck market in the USA.

- Volvo Trucks and Mack Trucks, which are integrated into the Volvo Trucks group, together represent 10% of the market.

- It should be noted that the truck market in the USA is divided into two categories: Middle Trucks (medium range) and Heavy Trucks (high range). The brands most involved in the high range are Freightliner, International, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Volvo, Mack and Western Star. Ford, GM and Chrysler are present only in the upper range pickup category. The other brands (such as Isuzu) are mainly present in the category of Middle Trucks.

- In Auto Analyze 2023-09, we gave an overview of the Vietnamese automobile market from 2010 to 2022. We said that this market was still at a low level (300,000 sales in 2022, for a population of nearly 100 million inhabitants) but constantly growing (50,000 sales in 2012, 200,000 sales in 2016, 250,000 sales in 2019).

- Today, we provide an overview of automotive production in Vietnam. This is progressing at the same rate as the local automobile market. In 2022, the production volume amounts to 350,000 vehicles compared to 307,000 in 2021 and 258,000 in 2020, which is a figure slightly higher than that of the local market, which means that Vietnam exports a few tens of thousands of vehicles in neighbouring countries.

- Japanese brands were the first to establish themselves in the country, followed by Korean brands. American carmakers Ford and GM were also present in Vietnam, but GM, which ceased distribution in 2018, sold its Hanoi factory to the only national carmaker: Vinfast. It was in this factory that the very first Vinfast vehicles were assembled before production was transferred to Haiphong, in a much larger factory. For now, the production of Vinfast is starting.

- It should be noted that the share of auto parts produced in Vietnam represents only 20% of the country's entire automobile production, compared to 80% in Thailand or Indonesia. Most of the parts are imported, resulting to a high cost of production which is impacted on the vehicle price. However, this is not the case for the national carmaker Vinfast.