Car sales jump 60% year-on-year in October

Passenger car sales in Pakistan nearly doubled in October 2026 from the previous month, reaching 21,635 units as demand for smaller vehicles, particularly the Suzuki Alto, surged.

The industry, however, has warned that delays in announcing a new auto policy are putting the sector’s recovery at risk.

Figures released by the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) on Thursday show that car sales were 98 per cent higher than the 10,939 units recorded in September and 60 per cent above the 13,513 units sold in October last year.

The increase was driven largely by cars with engine capacities below 1,000cc. Sales in this category climbed 118 per cent year-on-year to 11,885 units, making up nearly 55 per cent of total passenger car sales.

The Suzuki Alto accounted for most of these purchases, with 11,363 units sold in October — up from 4,931 a year earlier and 3,354 in September. Suzuki Every sales stood at 522 units, compared with 516 in October 2025.

In the 1,000cc category, Suzuki Cultus sales increased 26 per cent year-on-year to 653 units. The figure was also considerably higher than the 138 units sold in September.

Sales of vehicles with engine capacities of 1,300cc and above rose 20 per cent from a year earlier to 9,061 units, marking a 30 per cent monthly increase. Suzuki Swift recorded the biggest gain in this segment, with sales rising 175 per cent to 3,214 units from 1,170 a year ago.

Toyota’s Corolla, Yaris and Corolla Cross models together sold 3,496 units, down 7 per cent year-on-year. Honda Civic and City sales fell 14 per cent to 1,933 units. Hyundai sold 401 Elantras, up 23 per cent, while Sonata sales stood at 17 units.

Dewan’s electric car, the Honri-Ve, recorded sales of 36 units, compared with 20 in October 2025. However, its sales declined from 42 units in September.

Despite the increase in sales, passenger car production fell 5 per cent month-on-month to 16,112 units from 17,040 in September. It was still 6.6 per cent higher than the 15,112 units produced in October last year. Sales exceeded production by 5,523 units during the month.