Ali Asghar Jamali says feature pressure is rising and adds that Toyota is set to surprise the consumers by introducing latest features in their car brands.
Jamali said he had the numbers, but avoided specifics. He said volumes more than doubled from last year to this year. He said the company plans a further 25% increase next year. He linked the trend to lower interest rates.
Read More: Alektra Launches Metro Electric Cars in Pakistan
Toyota Indus chief executive Ali Asghar Jamali said Chinese brands are squeezing Pakistan’s market. He said Toyota will respond, but not by rushing untested features. Jamali spoke during a podcast hosted by Mansoor Ali Khan. The host framed the discussion around Japan versus China competition.
He cited ADAS, frameless doors, and sunroofs as examples. He said Toyota models in Pakistan often miss those items. Jamali rejected that storyline early in the conversation. He said competition is always good and improves products.
He acknowledged Chinese brands have taken share from Japanese automakers. He said that fact is visible in Pakistan’s changing showrooms. Jamali then widened the lens beyond Pakistan’s market. He said Toyota remained the world’s number one automaker in volumes.
He added a claim about global share moving higher. He said Toyota’s share rose from 11% to 12%. He argued the rise happened despite Chinese brands expanding globally. He said Toyota increased share while others entered.
Jamali then returned to Pakistan’s segment-by-segment fight. He said Chinese and Korean players have multiplied in recent years. He said Toyota lost share in some pockets but gained elsewhere. He said the pattern depends on where Toyota actually competes.
He said Toyota increased share in the Yaris segment. He said Toyota also increased share in the Corolla segment.
He said Corolla Cross now faces heavy competition in Pakistan. He said the segment has split into two size categories. He said Toyota still holds about 25% to 30% there. He said Toyota maintains share where it has products.
Jamali conceded a setback in Fortuner. He said Toyota lost market share there due to newer choices. Jamali accepted Fortuner’s positioning but stressed buyer behaviour changes. He said new choices move consumers across categories.
He gave a rough comparison to show the shift. He said Fortuner share may have moved from 80–85% to near 60%. He repeated that Toyota lacks ADAS across key models. He said frameless doors are appearing on rivals’ cars too.
He also noted Fortuner lacks a sunroof in Pakistan. He said the absence is true internationally, and locally. Jamali said Toyota’s mindset differs from feature-first competitors. He said Toyota tests durability before rolling out technologies.
He said Toyota aims to “perfect it” for the consumer. He said it rolls out features after proven performance. He argued that approach reduces complaints over time. He said Toyota owners typically report fewer issues.
He said Chinese cars are “very good” right now. He suggested the durability argument is not decisive today. Jamali said he did not claim Chinese cars lack durability. He said he was explaining Toyota’s internal policy and process.
He then described why new Chinese models are arriving quickly. He said many of them are coming as CBUs. He linked that inflow to government incentives for battery electric vehicles. He said the incentives apply broadly, not only to China.
Jamali said a 12.5% sales tax applies on imported BEVs. He said there is no FFD on those imports. He said locally manufactured vehicles face different tax treatment. He also mentioned exemptions from NEV tax and CVT.
He estimated the cumulative impact around 30% to 31%. He said that difference shows up on the top-line price. He said the state is promoting new technology for now. He said he could not predict how long it will last.
Jamali referenced the policy horizon during the exchange. He said the auto policy ends on June 30, 2026. He still said pricing is not the full story today. He said BEVs remain a small slice of Pakistan’s market. He described the powertrain order in Pakistan’s sales. He said ICE vehicles sell the most, then hybrids.
He said plug-in hybrids follow after hybrids. He said battery electric vehicles come last in the order. He gave a rough share estimate to underline the point. He said 75 to 80 out of 100 sales are ICE. He said Toyota fuel average attracts him as a customer. He said it “lures” buyers with petrol savings.
Jamali said he remembered their earlier discussion about hybrids. He said the host once argued hybrid price gaps do not pencil out. He said buyers are now doing similar calculations. He said consumers are shifting back toward petrol in some cases.
He gave an example from the competitive set. He said a rival’s petrol variant is selling more than hybrid and PHEV. Jamali said hybrids can still make sense for some users. He said it depends on running and consumer driving patterns.
He cited a mileage comparison to illustrate the trade-off. He said hybrids can deliver 25–26 km per litre. He said petrol cars may deliver 12–13 in comparison. He said engines are improving but behaviour varies by buyer.
Jamali argued Pakistan will not adopt one single solution. He said terrain and geography demand multiple powertrains. He said flat markets can convert fully to BEVs. He said Pakistan will still need petrol and diesel too.
He said hybrids, plug-ins, and BEVs will also play roles. He described Toyota’s principle as a “multi-pathway” approach. Jamali said the claim is partly right and partly wrong. He said Toyota advocates giving all solutions to consumers.
He said a company cannot decide what a buyer needs. He said the consumer must decide what suits them. He said Toyota supports hydrogen and fuel cell options too. He repeated that Toyota is a global company with choices.
He noted BYD introduced the Shark as a new pickup option. He asked why Toyota did not offer a similar choice. Jamali said Toyota has future plans but kept details confidential. He said the company has short, mid, and long-term plans.
He defined short term as within 12 months. He defined mid term as 24 to 30 months. He defined long term as up to five years. He said Toyota is working on confidential developments. He said he attended a global seminar where products were unveiled. He said the company is “ready to surprise.”
Jamali responded with what he called “good news” on demand. He said the economy also played a role. He said Toyota Indus had moved to a single shift earlier. He said it was running only 40% capacity then.
He said conditions improved over the following period. He said the company ran full single shifts with overtime. He said Toyota Indus expanded single-shift capacity further. He said additional investment was approved to remove bottlenecks.
He said demand is now stronger than before. He said the company is seeing more orders.He said consumer financing is coming back. He said corporates and government buying has also started again.
He said individuals are also returning to the market. He said buyers are coming back after a five-year cycle. He said some buyers cancelled orders for new models elsewhere. He said they moved back toward Toyota products.
Jamali said sentiment matters alongside financing in Pakistan. He said a new car purchase is a celebration for many. He said a better national mood brings buyers out. He said a bad mood keeps buyers away.
He said many Pakistanis still view cars as assets. He said around 80% treat the car as an asset. He said Toyota leads on resale value in that mindset. He said Toyota’s resale protects buyers’ perceived wealth.
Khan agreed on durability from personal experience. He said his Toyota takes rough terrain without “rattling.” He still returned to feature frustration at the end. He said he sees rivals’ features and wishes Toyota had them. The conversation then moved to the Fortuner price cut story. Khan said Fortuner prices dropped by about Rs2.5 m.
He asked if the car was not selling. Jamali said the cut became the “talk of the nation.” Jamali said 55% to 60% of price is government taxes. He said when price falls, tax take falls too. He said part of the reduction came from lower taxes. He said part came from margin adjustments and overhead allocation.
He also cited a “massive localisation” saving. He said the company passed that saving to consumers. He said the response was far above expectations. He said it was 10 to 20 times stronger than planned. He said deliveries moved out to May and June. He said earlier the vehicles were ready in inventory.
He said the company cannot make customers wait. He said corrective measures may be needed quickly. He said the industry ignores the 25–40 lakh segment. He said first-time buyers are stuck without options. Jamali agreed the question is valid. He said localising a new model needs major investment.
He said Toyota avoids CBU-heavy strategies by design. He said Toyota wants job creation and local value addition. He said localisation creates jobs mostly through vendors. He described daily logistics flows across dozens of suppliers. He said Toyota has about 58 vendors supplying parts daily. He said vendor and sub-vendor networks create large employment.
He said Yaris, Corolla, and Cross exceed 65% made-in-Pakistan value. He said about 35% is imported, excluding taxes. He said other established makers are in a similar range. He suggested variation of plus or minus five to ten points. He said hatchback volumes remain too small for localisation economics. He cited a total market around 20,000 vehicles.
He said Toyota’s footprint is B-segment and above. He said A-segment products are usually cross-badged elsewhere. He also urged long-term consistency in government policy. He said frequent signals create confusion for investors. He said product cycles require 36 months and heavy tooling. He said uncertainty blocks rational investment decisions.
He warned against opening commercial used-car imports. He said such a move would destroy manufacturing incentives. He said assemblers could shut plants and import certified used vehicles. He said that would end tool-making and human development.
Jamali also spoke about macro confidence and stability. He said LC openings and royalty payments have improved recently. He said Pakistan’s image has improved in regional meetings. He said Pakistan is now being placed “center stage” in discussions.
