Any item containing even slightest rudimentary tech is imported at the assembling stage and even after for spare parts like oil filters, air filters, etc. Further, these assemblers don’t pay their vendors a fair price and instead maximize their own profit resulting in high local part prices excused as cost of local production. Car Spirit should do an investigative article on this.

Coming to duties, we must not forget that a significant chunk of the cost now is the assembler’s own profit brought about under guise of foreign exchange element. It must be audited in detail and report made public. Taxes, while significant, are just an ever ongoing excuse. CBU taxes should be removed to make imports competitive with local assembled trash.

Driving showroom traffic is really costly, especially with the limited range and often obsolete offerings by OEMs in Pakistan. Therefore these CBU’s have been very effective in doing just that.

No amount of billboards and commercials can drive me to a Suzuki Showroom but both Vitara and Jimny made me go there. Same is the case with Ioniq.

Usually large dealers would stock just one unit. After a year or so prices start to look attractive at their year old level in contrast with the new prices in the market or the car company will push with big discount.

Either ways it’s an effective marketing strategy and not really a case of failed launches.