Viet Nam is welcoming the age of the car with open arms. But that’s not the only change in the face of modern motoring as more and more women take the wheel.
Juggling work and family is challenging enough without having to balance your kids on a motorbike but in the past it was very uncommon to see a woman driving a car. Today, as gender roles relax and women become more independent, many are going for the more comfortable and stylish alternative – a car.
One of these new car owners is businesswoman Nguyen Thuy Hien from the northern province of Cao Bang.
"Carting my kids about in all weathers was a real pain; sometimes in really bad weather they had to stay at home, so I decided to buy a car," she says.
"Even though I’m very busy I signed up for four months of driving lessons. It was hard going, learning the theory and trusting myself to drive without the constant guidance of my teacher."
But it all paid off, and last week Hien passed her exam and got her licence.
"It’s great being able to go where I want without having to ask my husband to drive me. It makes business trips so much easier and I can get my kids to school come rain or shine."
Hien isn’t the only one. The 45-year-old says many women in her province also have a car.
"Small cars like the Matiz, Kia Morning or Kia Picanto are really popular because they aren’t too expensive, they’re easy to handle, and they look good. They don’t need huge parking spaces and they’re easy to look after," she says.
Car dealers are only too aware of this rising trend in ownership, Hoang Long, a consultant of Toyota Giai Phong says.
"We are getting more and more women customers. Many are professionals but we get people from all walks of life. Most come here knowing exactly what they want," he says.
To satisfy the demands of this new market, many companies are importing more cars from abroad.
According to car dealer Nguyen Manh Hung, Korean cars are particularly popular.
"The Kia Morning is a big favourite because it’s relatively cheap, between US$15,000-17,000 and it looks good."
Other top choices are the Toyota Vios, Toyota Altis, Honda Civic, Daewoo Lacetti and Mazda 3, Hung says.
But despite getting into the driving seat, gender stereotypes still apply to women drivers.
"Few women pay a lot of attention to the engine," Hung admits. "Most care more about how it looks on the outside or how spacious the interior and how comfortable the driving seat is."
Young customer Hong Mai certainly seems to fit the dealer’s description.
"I want to buy a four or five-seater in red, yellow or brown. It has to look good," she says.
Priorities for older women are a bit more practical, fellow customer 50-year-old Thu Nga says.
"I’m after a Honda Civic because it’s easy to drive and doesn’t use much fuel. That’s really important for me because the cost of petrol is constantly increasing."
And it looks like the newly sparked interest in car ownership is also set to sky rocket. The Viet Nam Automobile Manufacturing Association (VAMA) say total sales recorded by its 11 members in 2007 doubled over 2006. According to one market observer, currently around 80,000 cars are sold per year but this could easily climb to 300,000-400,000 in the not too distant future. — VNS
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