Pakistan has welcomed several promising cars in the past, but they unfortunately failed in the market due to various reasons. Lack of official support, company crises, and costly spare parts were among the main issues that led to their downfall.
Here’s a list of some of the worst performing cars ever to his Pakistan’s streets.
Suzuki Liana
The Liana was a standout vehicle of its era. Initially, it was imported as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) from Thailand, and later, Suzuki began local manufacturing in Pakistan. Its build quality, cabin space, and performance were top-notch, even surpassing the Honda City and Toyota Corolla.
The primary reason for its failure was its advanced technology for the Pakistani market. It was one of the first cars to feature an Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) engine, Engine Control Unit (ECU), and electronic power steering.
Suzuki Ciaz
The Ciaz faced issues with its rear headspace. Despite that its sales were poor, Suzuki increased its price, contributing to its failure.
Suzuki introduced the Ciaz in 2014 and later began producing Completely Knocked Down (CKD) units. However, Suzuki downgraded many features in the CKD version, such as removing LED headlights, digital climate control, and noise insulation.
Sales remained sluggish until 2017 when Suzuki raised the price of the Ciaz. After that, the car never recovered and ultimately failed in the market.
FAW V2
The FAW V2 was the most affordable car in its category. This 1.3L hatchback was a budget-friendly option, but it struggled due to its Chinese origin. In 2017, Chinese brands had a poor reputation in Pakistan, unlike today in 2024.
Another reason for its failure was its unattractive design. The FAW V2 looked cheap, and its interior was made of low-quality plastic, which turned consumers away.
If FAW had invested in the design, the car might have succeeded in the market.
Chevrolet Optra
Launched in 2002, the Chevrolet Optra was an American-origin car manufactured by GM under the Chevrolet name. It was imported into Pakistan by Nexus Automotive Private Limited. The car was impressive, but the problem was its spare parts.
All parts were CBU, and due to its American import, the prices of spare parts were extremely high. Despite this, the car had excellent drive quality, cabin space, and suspension, meeting American standards.
United Bravo and Prince Pearl
United and Prince introduced the cheapest 800cc and 1000cc hatchbacks in the market with impressive features, but their plan failed. To include features like power steering, power windows, air conditioning, and an attractive design, they compromised on build quality to keep the cars affordable. Unfortunately, the build quality was too low for commercial success.
The vehicles had visible uneven gaps and improperly fitted parts. Even the taillight color faded after only 4-5 months of use.
As a result, their resale value plummeted, and they failed miserably in the market.
