Honda Atlas Cars is gearing up to launch the locally-assembled HRV on Saturday despite the fact that the auto industry is struggling with import restrictions and lengthy delivery delays.

The initial price of the HRV (1.5L) will be Rs6.028 million while the HRV S (1.5L) variant will be sold for Rs6.228 million, according to dealers, who suggested bulk-deliveries of the vehicle, to be launched officially at an event on Saturday, would start in January 2023.

According to auto sector expert Usman Ansari, Honda HRV’s price is competitive compared to KIA Sportage, Hyundai Tucson and other crossover SUVs in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Ansari expressed concern about the possibility of delayed deliveries due to government’s import restrictions and global semiconductor shortage.

“Other assemblers have also launched cars but the delivery time has stretched to over a year,” he said.

Honda to cut car output at two Japanese plants in October

The launch of another crossover SUV comes as Pakistan sees a greater market share of such vehicles.

Despite the price hikes, the share of SUVs in total car sales of Pakistan has jumped from 5% to 20% in the past three years. This segment includes KIA Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, MG Motors MG-HS, DFSK Glory, Proton X70 and Oshan X7.

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