KARACHI, Nov 12: Barring Honda Civic, City and Suzuki Swift, sales of locally assembled cars plunged by 32.3 per cent in July-October 2012-2013 as compared to same period of 2011-2012.

Sales of Toyota Corolla and Suzuki Mehran, Cultus, Bolan and Liana remained in red in the last four months of the current fiscal year as compared to same period of last fiscal year. The overall sales figures continued to face the brunt of phasing out of two popular cars – Suzuki Alto and Daihatsu Cuore.

Figures released by Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) revealed total sales of 34,990 units in July-October 2012-13 as compared to 51,755 units in the same period of last financial year. Corolla sales plunged to 9,187 units from 15,175 units followed by Cultus to 4,317 from 4,997, Mehran to 9,435 from 11,414, Bolan to 3,483 from 5,511 units and Liana to 86 from 168 units.It seems that buyers shifted their focus towards Honda’s Civic and City models in the last four months thus slightly improving their sales at 2,290 and 3,719 units in the last four months as compared to 2,246 and 3,647 units respectively. Suzuki Swift sales also crawled up to 2,402 from 2,328 units.

The first four months of the fiscal year also depicted a plunge in overall car production to 37,196 units from 49,329 units. However, production of Honda City rose to 4,699 units from 3,647 units followed by an increase in Swift production to 2,469 from 2,282 units.

Zeeshan Afzal at Top Line Securities said that besides termination of Cuore and Alto, the overall ‘sales were also hit by completion of Punjab’s taxi scheme’ in which Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited provided Mehran and Bolan while the arrival of used cars also depressed the sales of locally produced cars.

Indus Motor Company senior general manager marketing Ali Asghar Jamali said the company is likely to observe 15-16 non production days (NPDs) in December as compared to 11-12 in the current month. In July IMC observed seven NPDs followed by four to five in August, 9 in September and 12 in October.

The sales scenario will remain depressed owing to rising number in used car arrivals, he said. However, he recalled that the last four months of 2011 were not bad as compared to current year.

An official in Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited said that the company has already been feeling the pinch of ban on CNG cylinders and kit imposed in December 2011 as majority of vehicles produced by it were fitted with gas kits and cylinders.