Top 10 Bestselling Cars, this phrase usually evokes visions of some astonishing figures that enabled cars to take the top spot in sales rankings. But it’s not the case with locally assembled cars at all.
Sales of locally assembled cars already witnessed a sharp 55% reduction in sales in FY23 but got a worst-possible start for the new fiscal year. In July 2023, only 5,092 units were sold, a dismal 57% decline from the 11,925 units sold in July 2022, according to data made public by the Pakistan Automobile Manufacturers Association (PAMA).
Related: 6M-CY23 Show Appalling Sales Numbers
But the sales figures since the beginning of this calendar year also paint a bleak picture. In comparison to the previous year, the average number of new car sales during the first 6 months of 2023 (January to July) decreased by 63%. While we already discussed how sales are declining for each assembler, it is now time to look at Pakistan’s top-selling vehicles for the first half of CY23.
| Rank | Make & Model | Sales 6M-CY23 |
| 1 | Suzuki Alto | 7,765 |
| 2 | Toyota Corolla | 4,789 |
| 3 | Toyota Hilux | 4,149 |
| 4 | Honda City | 3,180 |
| 5 | Hyundai Tucson | 2,530 |
| 6 | Suzuki Swift | 2,204 |
| 7 | Kia Sportage | 2,107 |
| 8 | Suzuki Bolan | 2,011 |
| 9 | Toyota Yaris | 1,985 |
| 10 | Toyota Fortuner | 1,875 |
Data compiled by Auto Journal
As expected, Suzuki Alto remains the top-selling car in Pakistan but there are key takeaways to draw from the chart above. First off, Alto’s 7,765 units sold in a period of 6 months translate to a meager 1,294 units a month on average. This is less than a month’s worth of sales for Pak Suzuki’s entry-level hatchback because Alto’s best-selling monthly sales stats were 9,817 units in March 2022. In addition, Alto surpassed the 9k sales milestone multiple times last year.
Related: Pak Suzuki Alto on a Roller Coaster
Still, Suzuki Alto is the only car to have a sales average of over 1k units a month. The second bestselling car, which is Toyota Corolla has a monthly sales average of just 798 units. Bear in mind Corolla’s usual monthly sales average used to be around 4k units a month or more.
Interestingly, Toyota Hilux has emerged as the third bestselling vehicle of the year in Pakistan. This is probably due to the bulk of government purchasing since the Hilux is frequently used as police mobile, and patrolling vehicles and has the military as one of its key customers.
Honda City occupies the 4th position with 3,180 units sold in the first 6 months of the year, easily beating its arch-rival Toyota Yaris which resides in 9th place with 1,985 units sold. Honda City’s average monthly sales turn out to be 530 units which is 60% higher than that of Yaris which is just 330 units. Another interesting thing is that mass-market offerings such as Cultus (1,813 units) and Wagon R (1,665 units) are not even there among the top 10.
Related: Not the Ideal Start to New Fiscal Year for Local Assemblers
Analysts believe the road for local assemblers in the remaining half of the year will be even more challenging than before. Serious steps need to be taken in order to put the dwindling sales back on track, or else the future for local assemblers looks pretty bleak.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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