Sales of locally assembled vehicles continue to post daunting figures for assemblers amid a dreadful market slowdown that has caused the industry to crash to the 20-year-old levels.
According to the latest figures released by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA), passenger car sales fell by 68.41% year on year in November 2023. As of the first 5 months of this fiscal year (5MFY24), sales of passenger cars went down by 53% from 55,132 units in 5M-FY23 to just 25,746 units in 5M-FY24. On the other hand, sales of 4x4s/ SUVs and pickup segment also witnessed a sharp decline with sales slipping by 35% from 11,972 units to only 7,594 units in the discussed period.
Related: Nosediving Sales Figures Continue to Haunt Local Assemblers
We have already discussed in detail in our earlier article the sloppy numbers of locally assembled vehicles during the first 5 months of the ongoing fiscal year. It’s now time to look at the worst performers among the locally assembled models. The criteria we set to determine the worst performers is a minimum of 500 units, which means an average monthly sales of 100 units. Even though this is already a very low threshold, we think that any assembler can easily overcome it given the awful downturn the market is currently experiencing. However, you will be surprised that many locally assembled models fall short of selling even 500 units in the first 5 months of this fiscal year.
Hyundai Elantra
The globally obsolete 6th gen Elantra is the worst-selling Hyundai in Pakistan. Despite being a C-segment offering and a price tag that undercuts both the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, the Elantra has failed to make an impact. The sedan has clocked only 426 units in 5MFY23 averaging an awful 85 odd units a month. The sales have come down by 63% since 1,137 units of Elantra were sold in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Hyundai Sonata
The D-segment Sonata has witnessed the end of its honeymoon period. Only 402 units of the mid-sized sedan were sold in 5M-FY24 averaging only around 80 units a month. This is down by 20% compared to the 504 units sold during the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Honda HR-V & BR-V
Honda presents the combined number of HR-V and BR-V to blanket the poor sales figures of the two. Both these vehicles are struggling to make their numbers count. The duo saw just 833 units leaving the showroom floors which resulted in just around 416 units for each of them (hypothetically) in 5MFY24. The average monthly sales turn out to be just 83 units a month. The combined number of HR-V and BR-V went down from 1,099 units in 5M-FY23, witnessing a 24% decline in sales.
Isuzu D-Max
In the first 5 months of this fiscal year, the Isuzu D-Max managed to sell just 42 units, resulting in a monthly sales average of deplorable 8.4 units. Compared to the 104 units sold in the same period of last year, the D-Max suffered from a 60% decline in sales as of 5MFY24.
BAIC BJ40L
The BAIC BJ40L is a new leader when you vertically flip the domestic sales charts. The pricey SUV saw only 24 units during the first 5 months of this fiscal year averaging only 4.8 units a month. Last year during the discussed period, 53 units were sold which means the sales came down by 54% in 5MFY24.
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