Honda Wave 125i imported from Thailand and Malaysia, "high price" still attracts Vietnamese customers

Since its launch in 2020, the Honda Future 125 FI motorbike has been one of the most popular 125cc motorbike models in the Vietnamese market. Assembled and distributed by Honda Vietnam (HVN), the Future 125 FI has proven its durability and reliability in operation, combined with a modern design that suits consumer trends.

However, in the past 3 years, Honda Future 125 FI has faced fierce competition from its "brothers", especially the Honda Wave 125i motorbike imported from Thailand and Malaysia. This model not only has a similar design but also has many features and equipment quite similar to Future 125 FI, giving consumers more choices.

Honda Wave 125i is manufactured in Thailand and Malaysia, with some differences in details to suit the traffic conditions and emission standards of each country, but this model has a design and configuration almost identical to Future 125 FI. In recent years, Wave 125i imported from Thailand and Malaysia has continuously entered the Vietnamese market, attracting a lot of attention from consumers.

Especially when the price of imported Honda Wave 125i has risen to a level that makes many people "startled". Specifically, Wave 125i imported from Thailand was once "screamed" up to more than 80 million VND, while Wave 125i imported from Malaysia also has a price ranging from 75 million VND or more.

Although the price of the Wave 125i imported from Thailand and Malaysia is 2 - 2.5 times higher than the official suggested price of the Honda Future 125 FI (only from 30,524 - 32,193 million VND), the imported Wave 125i model still attracts more Vietnamese customers.

The owner of a motorbike shop in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City shared that the shop has distributed the "Made in Thailand" Wave 125i for the past two years and although the selling price is much higher than the Honda Future 125 FI, this model still receives strong attention from customers.

Another dealer specializing in importing and distributing Wave 125i from Malaysia said that the first batch of Wave 125i cars sold out quickly after its launch in early March 2025. It is expected that the next batch of cars will continue to be imported in the near future to meet consumer demand.

In addition to the origin, the Wave 125i Thailand and Malaysia have some differences compared to the Honda Future 125 FI produced by Honda Vietnam. The Wave 125i from Thailand has now been upgraded with some design changes such as the front of the vehicle, headlights and instrument cluster.

Meanwhile, the Wave 125i imported from Malaysia is adjusted to comply with the country's traffic requirements and emission standards. One of the notable differences is the larger rear shock absorbers and a more solid swingarm.

In addition, the engine of the Wave 125i Malaysia has also been refined to meet emission standards and allow the vehicle to operate at speeds higher than 100 km/h. Imported Honda Wave 125i must bear import tax, transportation and other costs related to bringing the vehicle from Thailand and Malaysia to Vietnam. Therefore, the high selling price of this model is understandable.

According to distributors, although the selling price is much higher than the Honda Future 125 FI, the Wave 125i still attracts a separate group of customers, mainly those who are passionate about motorbikes, love imported vehicles and have an understanding of the mechanical durability of "Made in Thailand" or Malaysian models.