KARACHI: Excluding tractors, the entire auto sector performed well with sales of trucks, buses, light commercial vehicles and cars indicating growth during the first eight months of this fiscal year.

The two- and three-wheeler segment showed mixed trend however.

Overall truck sales rose to 1,498 units in July-February 2013-14 as compared to 1,153 units in same period last fiscal year.

As per the data of Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers (Pama), Hino, Nissan, Master and Isuzu truck sales increased to 644, 215, 331 and 308 units as compared to 532, 136, 307 and 178 units in July-Feb 2012-13.

Truck sales increased due to the rising large-scale manufacturing which grew by 6.7 per cent in July-December 2013-14.

Public and private transporters maintained procuring vehicles from the local assemblers, thus pushing up overall bus sales to 388 units in July-Feb 2013-14 as compared to 349 units (due to higher sales of Hino buses to 335 units as compared to 294 units out of overall bus sales figures).

In the category of Light Commercial Vehicles, jeeps and vans, Sigma Defender sales rose to 339 units in July-February 2013-2014 as compared to 260 units in same period last fiscal. Suzuki Ravi and Toyota Hilux sales improved to 7,962 and 2,751 units from 6,487 and 2,711 units respectively.

Hyundai Shehzore resumed their production activities from September 2013 producing 698 units in July-Feb period, the its sales stood at 518 units.

Growers finally started lifting tractors at higher prices as the government did not reverse the 7pc hike in GST to 17pc effective January 1 this year.

Fiat and Massey Ferguson tractor sales in February 2014 went up to 545 and 1,060 units from 315 and 189 units. However, their sales remained depressed at 7,763 and 12,722 units in July-Feb 2013-14 compared to 12,330 and 19,068 units.

Honda and Suzuki bikes sales grew to 428,059 and 15,958 units as compared to 421,529 and 11,536 units. Sohrab, Qingqi and Ravi bikes sales increased to 2,834, 2,871 and 13,334 units as compared to 587, 1,629 and 12,689 units. Sales of Hero and Habib bikes plunged to 9,823 and 13,630 units from 15,638 and 16,082 units.

In three-wheeler, Sazgar sales jumped to 8,956 units from 6,215 units.

Sales of locally-produced car up by 3.5pc in the first eight months of this fiscal year compared to same period last year.