Chinese cars in Pakistan: which brands sell there and since when
Facts checked
Pakistan's car market was for decades a three-way split between locally assembled Toyota, Honda and Suzuki models. Chinese brands broke that pattern by doing the same thing: assembling locally, through Pakistani industrial groups, rather than importing built-up cars into a high-tariff market. By 2026 Chinese carmakers accounted for roughly 20 per cent of Pakistan's passenger-vehicle market.
Each brand came in with a local partner. MG arrived through MG JW Automobile Pakistan, a joint venture between the JW-SEZ Group and SAIC, which began local production of the MG HS plug-in hybrid in January 2025 and had built 1,000 units by May. Changan is assembled by Master Motors, which also handles Chery, Foton, Iveco trucks, Daimler Fuso and Yutong; Chery's own knocked-down production was due to start at a new Port Qasim plant in Karachi in early 2026 with hybrid Tiggo 7, 8 and 9 models. Haval is assembled by the Lahore group Sazgar, whose Haval sales drove the highest quarterly profit in its history in the quarter to March 2026. JAC's T9 pickup is assembled by Ghandhara Automobiles.
BYD is the newest and the largest single commitment. Its first Pakistani assembly plant, developed near Karachi with the local partner Mega Motor Company, was reported as being due to become operational between the third and fourth quarters of 2026, with annual capacity of 25,000 vehicles and an estimated investment of about US$150 million.
At a glance
| Country code | PK |
|---|---|
| Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Market status | Open |
| Brands recorded | 8 |
| Chinese-owned plants | 3 |
| Models on this site | 4 |
Brands sold in Pakistan
| Brand | Status | Since | Route to market | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 名爵MG | Sold | 2020 | A joint venture | MG JW Automobile Pakistan, a joint venture of the JW-SEZ Group and SAIC. Local production of the MG HS plug-in hybrid began in January 2025 and reached 1,000 units by May 2025. Sales start year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 长安Changan | Sold | 2018 | Local assembly | Assembled by Master Motors in Karachi. Sales start year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 奇瑞Chery | Sold | 2024 | Local assembly | Distributed by the Master Group, with locally assembled Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 9 launched and knocked-down production due to begin at a new Port Qasim plant in Karachi in early 2026. |
| 哈弗Haval | Sold | 2021 | Local assembly | Assembled by Sazgar Engineering Works in Lahore; Haval volume drove Sazgar's record quarterly profit in the quarter to March 2026. Sales start year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 比亚迪BYD | Sold | 2024 | Local assembly | Sold through Mega Motor Company, a joint venture partner; a local assembly plant near Karachi was reported as due to open between the third and fourth quarters of 2026. Sales start year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 江淮JAC | Sold | 2023 | Local assembly | The JAC T9 double-cab pickup is assembled by Ghandhara Automobiles. Start year to be re-checked against a primary source. |
| 福田Foton | Sold | not published | Local assembly | Assembled by Master Motors alongside Changan and Chery. |
| 坦克Tank | Sold | not published | An independent importer | GWM's Tank line is offered in Pakistan alongside Haval; start date not established here. |
The rules
Stated from the document that issued them, with the date each was read. Nothing here is an interpretation.
| Rule | What it says | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local assembly is the route to market | Pakistan's tariff structure and foreign-exchange controls make imports of completely built-up cars costly, so Chinese brands enter through knocked-down assembly with Pakistani industrial partners: SAIC with the JW-SEZ Group, Changan and Chery with Master Motors, Haval with Sazgar, JAC with Ghandhara Automobiles and BYD with Mega Motor Company. The specific tariff and duty schedule was not confirmed against a government document in the sources used here. | PakWheels | |
| Chinese share of the passenger-vehicle market | Chinese carmakers accounted for about 20 per cent of Pakistan's passenger-vehicle market as reported in 2026. | KrASIA |
Chinese-owned plants in Pakistan
| Owner | Location | Since | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAIC Motor | JW-SEZ facility, Karachi area | January 2025 | MG JW Automobile Pakistan, a joint venture between the JW-SEZ Group and SAIC. Local production of the MG HS plug-in hybrid began in January 2025 and passed 1,000 units by May 2025. |
| Chery Holding Group | Port Qasim, Karachi | 2026 | Knocked-down production of hybrid Tiggo 7, 8 and 9 models was reported to begin in early 2026. The plant is operated with the Pakistani Master Group; the ownership split is not established here. |
| BYD | Near Karachi | not published | BYD's first Pakistani assembly plant, developed with the local partner Mega Motor Company; reported as due to become operational between the third and fourth quarters of 2026, with capacity of 25,000 vehicles a year and an estimated investment of about US$150 million. Not confirmed as operational. |
Models recorded in Pakistan
| Model | Body | Status | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avatr Avatr 11 | SUV | Sold | 555 km CLTC |
| Deepal Deepal S05 | SUV | Sold | 520 km CLTC |
| Maxus Maxus Terron 9 | Pickup | Sold | 430 km WLTP |
| Wuling Wuling Bingo | Hatchback | Sold | 203 km CLTC |
Best sellers
| Model | Brand | Year | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haval (all models) | Haval | 2026 | Haval volume drove Sazgar Engineering Works to profit after tax of Rs6.4 billion in the quarter to March 2026, the highest quarterly profit in the company's history. |
| MG HS plug-in hybrid | MG | 2025 | Local production began in January 2025 and passed 1,000 units by May 2025. |
Chinese cars in Pakistan: questions people ask
- Which Chinese car brands are assembled in Pakistan?
- MG through MG JW Automobile Pakistan (JW-SEZ Group and SAIC), Changan and Chery through Master Motors, Haval through Sazgar, JAC through Ghandhara Automobiles, and BYD through Mega Motor Company, whose plant near Karachi was reported as due to open in the second half of 2026.
- How large are Chinese brands in Pakistan?
- Chinese carmakers accounted for about 20 per cent of Pakistan's passenger-vehicle market as reported in 2026, against a market that had long been dominated by locally assembled Toyota, Honda and Suzuki models.
- Why do Chinese brands assemble in Pakistan rather than import?
- Pakistan's tariff structure and foreign-exchange controls make imports of completely built-up cars expensive, so every Chinese brand of scale has entered through knocked-down assembly with a Pakistani industrial partner.
- Is BYD building a factory in Pakistan?
- Yes. BYD's first Pakistani assembly plant, developed near Karachi with the local partner Mega Motor Company, was reported as due to become operational between the third and fourth quarters of 2026, with capacity of 25,000 vehicles a year and about US$150 million of investment.
What changed
The only dated surface on this page. It records status changes, not news.
-
Sazgar reported its highest quarterly profit on record on the back of Haval sales.
-
Chery's knocked-down production was reported to begin at a new Port Qasim plant in Karachi with hybrid Tiggo models.
-
BYD's assembly plant near Karachi, with Mega Motor Company, was reported as due to become operational between the third and fourth quarters of the year.
-
MG JW Automobile Pakistan began local production of the MG HS plug-in hybrid.
Related
Sources for Pakistan
- PakWheels, BYD plans to start local car assembly this year. Read .
- PakWheels, New automotive players: companies that started local assembly in Pakistan in 2025. Read . MG HS plug-in hybrid production from January 2025; 1,000 units by May.
- Wikipedia, MG Motors Pakistan. Read . Used as a finding aid for the MG JW Automobile joint-venture structure.
- Wikipedia, Master Motors. Read . Used as a finding aid for the brands Master Motors assembles in Pakistan.
- Profit by Pakistan Today, As Haval sales soar, Sazgar posts record profits. Read .
- KrASIA, BYD adds to China's expanding automotive footprint in Pakistan. Read . Chinese carmakers at about 20 per cent of Pakistan's passenger-vehicle market.
- Wikipedia, Ghandhara Automobiles Limited. Read . Used as a finding aid for the JAC T9 assembly arrangement.
- Gulf News, New BYD plant to add pressure on established Japanese carmakers in Pakistan. Read .