The Feb Sales Showdown: Honda City and Civic Triumph Over Toyota Yaris and Corolla – PAMA

The Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) car sales report for February 2023 has been released. Honda’s sedans are revving up the competition, overtaking Toyota’s sedans in monthly sales (Feb-2023). Suzuki’s sales have declined significantly (-67%) compared to the previous month. Overall, the worsening economic situation has caused huge problems for automobile companies.

The overall car sales are down by around -73% this month (Feb-23: 5,762 units) compared to the same month last year’s sales (Feb-22: 21,664 units). The month-on-month car sales are also down by around -47% (Feb-23: 5,762 units) compared to last month’s sales (Jan-23: 10,866 units).

The industry is going through one of the worst times. It is due to the current economic disaster in Pakistan in which inflation has broken records. The dollar rate has hit an all-time high. The companies are also facing issues in importing parts due to restrictions and the Letter of Credit issue in Pakistan (explained later in this blog). Due to this, some big companies had to suspend their production plants. All these elements are affecting sales negatively.

Let’s see which cars have still performed better in this storm and which got carried away.

Latest Car Sales Numbers (PAMA Pakistan)

Let’s take a look at the overall car sales statistics.

We will compare the following statistics:

• YOY (year-on-year) sales: 

Sales of a car model in Feb 2023 as compared to its sales in the same month last year (Feb 2022).

• MOM (month-on-month) sales: 

Sales of a car model for Feb 2023 compared to its sales for the previous month (Jan 2023).

Total Car Sales Stats

Total year-on-year car sales statistics:

Feb 2022	Feb 2023	Difference(units sold)	Difference(%)
21,664	5,762	-15,902	-73.4%

Total month-on-month car sales statistics:

Jan 2022	Feb 2023	Difference(units sold)	Difference(%)
10,866	5,762	-5,104	-47.0%

Cars’ Sales in Pakistan (Feb 2023)

Let’s see how much the car sold in Pakistan in February 2023.

MOM Cars’ Sales (Jan-23 vs Feb-23)

The following are car sales statistics of the major automobile manufacturers. These numbers are taken from Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA). 

This table shows that only Hyundai’s MOM sales are positive. The sales of other major automobile manufacturers are negative. A major reason behind this drop in sales can be the price hikes that have taken away the cars from the reach of many customers. Another reason behind this negative MOM sales seems to be the production suspension due to import restrictions and LCs issues. 

Highlights

• Suzuki’s month-on-month sales declined by ~63%
• Toyota’s month-on-month sales decreased by ~49%
• Hyundai’s month-on-month sales increased by ~17%
• Honda’s month-on-month sales dropped by ~39%
• Suzuki Wagon R, Cultus, Swift, & Bolan month-on-month sales decreased by over 80%

YOY Cars’ Sales (Feb-23 vs Feb-23)

These are the year-on-year car sales statistics of the major automobile manufacturers.

Highlights

• Suzuki year-on-year sales decreased by ~92%
• Toyota year-on-year sales declined by ~61%
• Honda year-on-year sales dropped by ~40%
• Hyundai year-on-year sales decreased by ~12%
• Suzuki Alto, Wagon R, Cultus, & Bolan year-on-year sales dropped by over 90%

Now, let’s see where the sedans and hatchbacks stand against each other.

Sedans Sales in Pakistan: Honda Beats Toyota in Sales! 

Here are the popular sedans sold by different companies.

As we can see, Honda sedans have left Toyota sedans behind in the Feb-23 sales. Hyundai sedans are also slowly catching up but have a long way to go. 

Hatchbacks Sales in Pakistan: A Nightmare?

Let’s see which hatchback is at the top now.

Although Alto is again on the top of the table here, it is nothing compared to what we had witnessed before Jan-2023. Except for Alto, all the Suzuki hatchbacks have less than 100 units sold in Feb-23. It is an alarming situation for Suzuki. 

Winners of Feb 2023 

Let’s see the winners of February 2023.

Winners in Terms of the Number of Units Sold

Here, we will show you the winners in terms of total units sold.

The unthinkable has happened as the Honda sedans beat Toyota sedans in monthly sales. Traditionally, Toyota sedans have been defeating the Honda sedans by a good margin. But the current economic situation has changed the dynamics. Also, Honda sedans have topped the winners’ table as well which many can’t believe.

Winners (In terms of % difference in units sold)

Here are the winners in terms of % difference compared to their previous month’s sales.

Suzuki Alto has performed way better than the previous month (44 units in Jan to 544 units in Feb). However, the number is still way lower than its average units sold last year. Next in the table are Hyundai vehicles which have performed better than the previous month. 

The Losers of Feb 2023

Let’s see the cars that have the least number of units sold or sales as compared to the previous month. 

Losers in Terms of the Number of Units Sold

Here are the cars that have the least number of units sold in Feb-2023.

Only Suzuki vehicles (except Alto) are added to this table because they couldn’t even cross the 100 units mark. It is a disastrous situation for the company. The reason can be the production suspensions as well as increased prices which many can’t afford. 

Losers in Terms of % Difference in Units Sold

Let’s see the cars that have lost their sales massively as compared to the previous month. 

Again, only Suzuki vehicles are included in this table as their sales have declined by over 80% compared to the previous month.

Letter of Credit Issue in Pakistan

Due to the worsened economic conditions and shortage of US Dollars in the country, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) introduced a policy of “prior approval for imports” last year. Due to this, companies and businessmen couldn’t directly get LCs from banks without taking prior approval. 

Many will find no issue in this process. But the problem arises when the approvals are delayed. As reported by different media outlets, businesses are facing difficulty in obtaining approvals due to the shortage of dollars. As a result, many businesses have not been able to import items (raw materials, equipment, etc.) which is disrupting their supply chain. Due to this, many are forced to shut down their operations for the time being.

Final Verdict

The signs for the automobile industry in Pakistan are not looking good as all the major automobile manufacturers have lost sales compared to the same month last year. Only Suzuki Alto and Hyundai vehicles have positive month-on-month sales which are again negative when compared year-on-year basis. 

Which is the major factor behind these decreased sales? Is it increased prices or production suspensions? Tell us in the comment section below.