KARACHI: Pakistan’s top two bike assemblers in August broke all earlier production and sales records.

Atlas Honda Limited (AHL) sold a total of 187,249 bikes in July-Aug 2017-18 as against 136,890 and 136,476 units in 2016-17.

Production and sales in Aug 2017 stood at 95,200 and 91,599 units while in May 2017 the figures were 90,800 and 93,060 units.

United Auto Motorcycle (UAM) production and sales hit 35,555 and 36,084 units in Aug 2017, compared to its earlier record of 32,773 units each in Nov 2016.

UAM overall sales in July-Aug 2017 reached 67,023 units as compared to 49,464 units same period 2016-17.

According to the figures of Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA), Road Prince Bike Assembler also achieved highest production and sales of 23,650 units in Aug 2017 each as against its last highest of 19,508 units recorded in Oct 2016.

A total of 35,002 locally assembled cars of PAMA members were sold in the first two months of current fiscal year as compared to 27,317 units in same period last fiscal.

Sales of Honda Civic/City, Suzuki Swift and Toyota climbed to 7,766, 722 and 8,657 units as compared to 5,295, 689 and 8,250 units respectively in July-August 2016-17.

Suzuki Cultus and Suzuki WagonR sales swelled to 3,670 and 4,137 units from 2,190 and 2,352 units.

Suzuki Mehran and Suzuki Bolan sales surged to 6,826 and 3,224 units from 5,676 and 2,865 units.

Truck sales of PAMA members (Hino, Nissan, Master and Isuzu) rose to 1,478 units from 1,188 units while bus sales plunged to 175 from 227 units.

In LCVs, vans and jeeps, sales of Toyota Fortuner stood at 535 units as against 111 units while the newly launched Honda BR-V witnessed sale of 1,411 units.

Suzuki Ravi sales went up to 3,757 from 2,890 units while Toyota Hilux sales fell to 967 from 1,267 units.

Sales of Fiat and Massey Ferguson tractors rose more than double to 3,407 and 6,326 units in July-Aug 2017-18 from 1,386 and 3,055 units in same period last fiscal.

In two-wheelers, Suzuki and Yamaha sales improved to 3,278 and 3,397 units as compared to 2,825 and 2,044 units.

Rai Omar Basharat at Top Line Securities said a string of new models and facelift has boosted sales of cars.

He said tractor sales would continue to show positive growth due lower general sales tax, improving crop yield due to Punjab government’s Kissan Package and continuation of fertiliser subsidy to improve farmers’ purchasing power.

Moreover, in Budget FY18, the Sindh government had set aside Rs2 billion in subsidy for farmers on tractor purchase.

He anticipated strong sales of trucks fueled by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor led growth, higher road connectivity, lower financing rate and change and enforcement of axle load limit per truck on highways by National Highway Authority.

Two- and three-wheeler sales grew strongly due to rising disposable income of lower middle class, Rai said.

Sazgar, Road Prince and United Auto three wheeler sales 3,429, 2,792 and 1,542 units as compared to 3,091, 269 and 551 units.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2017