These Are The 10 Most Sold Cars in Pakistan This Year

Pakistan’s auto industry has gone through massive change in recent times. Global brands are lining up to invest billions to cater to the rising demand of vehicles in Pakistan. Tax incentives via the Auto Policy 2016-2021 have also turned Pakistan into a lucrative car market.

In 2016, over 230,000 cars were sold in Pakistan. The numbers continue to rise each year and a positive trend of 10 to 15 percent growth annually is clearly visible. More than 150,000 cars and jeeps have been sold in Pakistan since mid-2016. If you add buses, trucks and tractors to the equation, the number crosses 200,000.

Amongst locally assembled cars, Toyota, Suzuki and Honda take the lead.

Today we take a look at the most sold cars in Pakistan since the start of the current fiscal year (July 2016).

1. Toyota Corolla

Just like the year before, Toyota Corolla takes the crown as the most popular car in Pakistan. During the past nine months, 40,694 units have been sold. Anticipating the demand, Toyota has produced 40,774 units in the same period.

The current Corolla is available in several variants like Xli, GLi, Altis and Altis Grande. All come with different features and  the variants’ prices differ by up to 8 lacs. The basic model of the Toyota Corolla starts at Rs. PKR 1,659,000 and goes all the way up to PKR 2,389,000 for the premium model.

2. Suzuki Mehran

Despite all the hate that Mehran receives, it still manages to retain its annual sales and comes in as the second most popular car.

28,036 units were sold while its maker produced 29,966 units during the past nine months.

Suzuki Mehran is based on a three decade old design and still comes with nearly the same look and features set as the original one, which was introduced in 1989.

The prices for the Suzuki Mehran are as follows:

Mehran VX = PKR 679,000
Mehran VXR = PKR 732,000
Mehran VX CNG = PKR 749,000
Mehran VXR CNG = PKR 802,000

3. and 4. Honda City & Civic

Honda’s sales are dependent on both Civic and City. While Civic’s sales are rapidly rising thanks to its new sports looks, the City has always been a crowd favorite. Together, these cars take up the third spot amongst locally produced cars.

During the past three quarters, 28,120 units of Civic and City were sold, exceeding the company’s expectations like the year before. Honda only managed to produce 27,572 vehicles, failing to meet the extensive local demand. Honda’s sales have grown by 50 percent as compared to last year.

Civic comes with a price tag of nearly Rs. 3 million while the new Honda City has just been announced with prices starting at Rs. 1.5 million.

5. Suzuki Bolan

Suzuki Bolan, often referred to as “Carry dabba” locally, still manages to sell a lot of units despite rising competition from Japanese imported vehicles that belong to the same category.

Bolan’s sales are backed up by the government’s Rozgar Taxi scheme. Sales have, however, depleted in recent times as the taxi scheme came to an end. Suzuki recorded sale of 14,938 units in the previous nine months. The car maker had produced 15,424 units as sales dropped by nearly 60 percent.

Bolan is another vehicle from Suzuki which has remained largely unchanged for the past few decades and comes with the same design and specifications.

6. Suzuki Ravi

Ravi is the most sold pickup in Pakistan. Its low price and basic features make it the best choice for small-scale dealers and distributors.

The model saw sales of 13,988 units. Suzuki overestimated the demand as produced 14,212 units. The pickup also saw a rapid decline in demand of about 65 percent.

Ravi comes with a similar build to Bolan as is known the same benefits and issues.

7. Suzuki Wagon R

Suzuki makes another appearance in the list. This time with its relatively new Wagon R. Unlike others on the list, Wagon R is a new car which has witnessed growing demand in the past couple of years following a strong media campaign by its maker.

Wagon R saw its sales increase by nearly 100 percent as 12,595 units were sold. Suzuki was ready for the higher demand and produced 12,844 units during the same time. Last year, Wagon R sold 6,857 units.

Suzuki Wagon R, comes with a better and spacious interior making it a popular family car. Of course, the car is facing tough competition from imported Kei cars which offer even more for less price.

8. Suzuki Cultus

Suzuki’s fifth entry in the list, Cultus is a popular car in Pakistan. Launched in 2000, the car has gained a wide userbase even though it offered the same features for more than 15 years. The company had, however, stopped taking orders for Cultus in February as it planned on introducing a new model.

Cultus sold 11,905 units in the past nine months while the company produced 13,336 units.

The new Cultus has been built from scratch and is internationally known as Celerio. It is yet to be seen what type of response Suzuki receives for the upgraded model as it goes to sale recently.

9. Toyota Hilux

Toyota’s second most sold car (technically a pickup) is the high-end Hilux. The car has seen major improvements over the years and is often considered as a luxurious alternative to Corolla.

4,239 units of the vehicle were sold though the company managed to meet demand and produced 4,425 units.

Hilux is categorized among the pickups but thanks to its premium features and a cheaper price point compared to off-road capable SUVs, there is high demand for the vehicle. Toyota also offers a higher-end Hilux Revo variant in Pakistan.

10. Suzuki Swift

With Suzuki Swift, almost all Suzuki cars are part of the bestselling list and affirm the company’s place as the major shareholder in Pakistan’s automobile market.

Swift has never received the attention its siblings have seen in Pakistan. The car sold 3,281 units in the past nine months while the company produced 3,401 units.

Suzuki Swift is a comfortable compact hatchback which was supposed to be the company’s flagship vehicle and a superior, albeit expensive, alternative to Cultus and Mehran models. The car never really managed to sell enough units and the car maker was forced to keep selling Cultus and Mehran models.