New vehicle sales in Indonesia rose by 5% to 51,205 units in April 2025 from 48,764 units in the same month last year, according to wholesale data compiled by the local automotive industry association Gaikindo.
The market last month bounced back from very weak year-earlier volumes, when sales dropped by 17% from peak post-pandemic levels in the previous year. Market sentiment has weakened significantly in the last year, with fewer consumers committing to large purchases, while companies also face growing uncertainty regarding international trade following the recent import tariff hikes in the US.
GDP growth slowed slightly to 4.9% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, compared with 5.0% growth in the previous quarter, with domestic consumption and exports both slightly weaker. Bank Indonesia last cut its benchmark interest rate in February, by 25 basis points to 5.75% – the second such cut since the peak level of 6.25% last August. Since then, the central bank has focused more on supporting the weak rupiah.
In the first four months of 2025, the vehicle market shrank by 3% year-on-year to 256,368 units after plunging by 23% from 263,706 units in the same period last year, with sales of passenger vehicles falling by just over 2% to 202,724 units while commercial vehicle sales were down by almost 5% to 53,644 units.
Toyota’s sales increased by 5% to 85,032 units in the first four months of the year, helped by strong demand for models such as the recently-launched Hilux Rangga and the Innova MPV, while other Japanese automakers have come under strong pressure from the growing presence of Chinese brands – which are driving up demand for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the country. Daihatsu’s sales plunged by 21% to 43,883 units; followed by Honda with 25,336 units (-22%); Mitsubishi 21,272 units (-8%); and Suzuki 18,319 units (-20%).
Sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) surged almost threefold to 23,950 units year-on-year in the first four months of the year, with BYD and its Denza brand combined accounting for 12,560 units, followed by SAIC-GM-Wuling 3,690 units and Chery Automobile 3,440 units.
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By GlobalDataOverall vehicle production in the country was flat at 368,468 units year-to-date, while exports of fully-assembled vehicles increased by over 4% to 144,796 units.
