A lot of readers are already accusing me of being on the payroll of Honda, Toyota, or Suzuki but I am not.
The entry of new companies into the Pakistani market is a good thing.
The big three have had total control over the auto market of Pakistan since before most of us were born. This meant that whatever they offered and whatever they charged for the cars people had to buy them.
The result was a total lack of R&D specific to the Pakistani market.
Dominance of Toyota, Honda, Suzuki in Pakistan
These three companies deleted features from global models and charged ridiculously high prices. We had no other options and people bought Honda, Toyota, and Suzuki.
Our expectation with the arrival of the likes of Glory, Kia, MG, and other brands was an increase in competition and a decrease in prices.
Unfortunately, that did not happen.
Prices are still going up and we are not getting the features available on international models. That is not what’s the most concerning thing!
The most concerning thing is the quality these new automakers are delivering.
If you’ve been active on social media pages related to cars recently, you must have come across the case of a tire burst on a Kia Sportage near Multan.
Luckily, no one was harmed but the owner of the car ended up paying a repair bill of 205,000.
That was followed by a series of people coming forward and telling how their Kias had tire troubles.
That kind of thing can be expected from a Eurostar tire but a Kumho tire that costs Rs.30,000 a piece is not expected to do that.
Cherry on top, most Kia Sportage owners have noticed the ultra-costly Kumho tires DON’T HAVE A DATE OF MANUFACTURE ON THEM.
That’s just one of the problems.
Kia has also recalled thousands of units globally for an issue that causes the cars to SPONTANEOUSLY CATCH FIRE. There have also been issues with the oil pump after just 20,000 kilometers.
I have a Honda and I did not get it tuned for 50,000 kilometers and it drove fully okay.
Wait For It
Then there is the issue of the reliability of these new cars on Pakistani roads. We will see the real problems show up once these cars complete five years on our roads.
I am not trying to ascertain that all these new options are bad.
What I think is that right now is not the right time to take the risk. Buy the tried and tested cars that have been on our roads for a long time. It is not the best option to spend upwards of five or six million rupees on something that has yet to prove its worth!
Read More: Pak Suzuki Sets New Record For Highest Sales In Pakistan
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Read More: Is the New Honda City Really Worth 2.59 Million for the Base Model?
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Author
A civil engineer by education, a writer by profession. A bit too much interested in cars. When I am not writing, I am researching cars or planning a trip.
