Pakistan Car Sales September 2026: Down 9.8% as Toyota Outsells the Alto

The short answer: Pakistan's car sales fell to 10,939 units in September 2026, down 9.8% on September 2025 and 20.3% on August, according to figures the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association (PAMA) released on 13 October. Toyota's Corolla, Yaris and Corolla Cross sold 3,563 units between them, more than the Suzuki Alto (3,354) for the month. Factories built 17,040 cars but sold only 10,939, so dealers are holding more stock than usual going into October. The first quarter of FY27 is still up 43% on last year.

September 2026 car sales at a glance

• Total car sales: 10,939, against 12,126 in September 2025 (down 9.8%) and 13,717 in August 2026 (down 20.3%).
• Total car production: 17,040, up 24.7% on September 2025 and 28.4% on August.
• Built but not sold: about 6,100 cars in September alone.
• Q1 FY27 (July to September): 41,872 cars sold, up 42.8% from 29,318. Production was 47,614, up 31.8%.
• Top seller by badge: Toyota Corolla, Yaris and Corolla Cross (combined in PAMA's data) with 3,563, ahead of the Alto's 3,354.

All figures are passenger-car sales and production reported by PAMA member companies. Brands that do not report to PAMA, such as Kia, Changan, MG and most Chinese imports, are not included.

Model-by-model car sales, September 2026

Source: PAMA production and sales data, September 2026. PAMA reports Toyota's three cars and Honda's two sedans as single lines, so a split by model is not available.

Car sales by company

Read the headline carefully: Toyota's car range beat the Alto, Suzuki's best seller, but Suzuki as a company still sold more cars (4,802 against Toyota's 3,563). Suzuki's lead has shrunk sharply, though. In September 2025 it outsold Toyota by more than 2.7 to 1. This September the ratio was about 1.35 to 1.

Month-on-month: why September dropped 20%

Almost the whole fall came from Suzuki. Alto sales dropped by 1,985 units from August, and Swift and Cultus sales nearly halved. Honda's Civic and City also slipped 20.8%. Toyota was the only big maker to sell more than in August, up 15.7%, and Hyundai's Elantra edged up again.

PAMA's own write-up said passenger-car production rose 28% in the month while sales fell 20%, and pointed to "unresolved uncertainty over sales tax". That fits what we reported in our hybrid car prices after 18% GST story: buyers who expect a price or tax change tend to wait.

Year-on-year: Toyota and Hyundai up, Suzuki down

Against September 2025, Toyota's car sales rose 34.2% and the Elantra almost quadrupled from a small base. Honda was roughly flat (+2.2%). Every Suzuki car was down: the Alto fell 28.9%, the Swift 39.3%, the Every 36.5% and the Cultus 67.7%. The WagonR recorded no sales or production in Q1 FY27.

Q1 FY27 trend: still up 43%

September was weak, but the quarter was strong. July (17,216) and August (13,717) were well above last year, so July to September car sales came to 41,872 against 29,318 a year earlier, up 42.8%.

PAMA credits the rebound to easing inflation and a better economy. It also reported that its SUV, jeep and pickup lines fell 34% in Q1 sales, to 8,608 units.

SUVs and pickups in September

PAMA counts SUVs separately from cars. In September its jeep and pickup lines sold 4,165 units, against 5,048 a year earlier. The biggest movers were:

• Haval and Tank (Sazgar): 2,474 sold, after no sales in August. See the Haval H6, Jolion and Tank 500.
• Toyota Fortuner and Hilux: 579, down from 950 in August.
• Jetour: 141 sold, with 486 built.
• Honda HR-V and BR-V: 107.
• Suzuki Fronx: 60 sold, with 750 built.
• Hyundai Tucson 51, Santa Fe 12 and Palisade 2.

The Kia Sportage and other Kia models are not in PAMA's figures.

Built but not sold: what the 6,100-car gap means

Car makers built 17,040 cars in September and sold 10,939, a gap of about 6,100. Over the whole quarter they built 47,614 and sold 41,872, so roughly 5,700 more cars went into stock than came out. The gap is concentrated in a few models:

What that means for you, in our view:

• Stock: dealers should have more Alto and Swift stock on hand than in months, so many variants should be available off the lot or soon after booking.
• Waiting times: long delivery waits and "own money" premiums are hard to justify when factories are building far more than they sell. If a dealer asks for a premium on an Alto, Swift or Cultus, walk away and try another.
• Deals: no maker has announced a price cut. Built-up stock is still the condition in which free registration, insurance, accessories or better trade-in values tend to appear, so ask.
• Toyota and Honda: their gaps are much smaller, so expect less room to bargain on the Corolla, Yaris, Corolla Cross, Civic and City.

Auto policy uncertainty: what PAMA said

PAMA said in its September write-up that both makers and buyers are "hesitant to take investment decisions" and that "the lack of clarity about the auto policy continue[s] to dominate the market sentiment." The key points:

• The new auto policy (2026-31) has not been released. PAMA wrote to the Ministry of Industries and Production on 29 September asking to see the draft before it goes to the Prime Minister, citing concern about possible penalties linked to export targets.
• PAMA said the Prime Minister's Advisor on Industries and Production told a Senate committee on 7 October that the policy would be approved within two weeks. The industry is expecting "a fair taxation regime" in that time.
• PAMA said the sales tax question is still unresolved, and that imports of fully built cars were brought forward because of the policy gap.
• PAMA reported 2,276 used cars imported in September alone, and warned that rising imports could pressure the balance of payments.

Until the policy and tax rules are published, prices could move either way. Neither PAMA nor any maker has said which way.

What buyers should do now

1. Use the stock build-up. If you want an Alto, Swift, Cultus or Every, this is a good time to compare several dealers and push for a delivery date and extras in writing. Start with our cheapest new cars in Pakistan for October 2026.
2. Lock the price at booking. With the auto policy and sales tax still open, ask whether the price is fixed when you pay or when the car is delivered, and get it on the booking form.
3. Don't pay premiums. At these stock levels there is no reason to pay above the ex-factory price for a locally built car.
4. If you need a Toyota or Honda, book early. Supply is closer to demand there. Compare the Corolla, Corolla Cross, Civic and City in our best new cars under 1 and 1.5 crore guide.
5. Weighing a hybrid. Check where hybrid prices stand after the tax change in our hybrid car prices report.
6. Compare every new car in one place on the Autowheels new cars page.

Browse new Toyota, Suzuki and Honda cars on Autowheels: