April 6, 2019 April 6, 2019 - by UsmanAnsari - 2 Comments.
The oligopolistic automobile market in Pakistan which is long dominated by three Japanese players (referred to as Big3) offers very limited choices for car buyers. The government in order to lose the grip of the Big 3, introduced the Automobile Development policy in 2016 which mainly attracted non-Japanese players to come invest in the country.
Related: Pakistan Auto Policy: What Needs to be Done?
Although it has been three years since the policy was taken into effect, so far its fruits are yet to be reaped. Majority of what that has been offered by newcomers are either commercial pickups or minivans or over-expensive SUVs that simply pose no threat to the existing Japanese players whatsoever.
In these circumstances FAW V2 is the only option among passenger cars that give the buyers a chance to opt for something other than what is offered by the Big3. Introduced back in 2014 as CBU import the V2 got positive response from the consumers which gave ample confidence to the company to begin assembling the hatchback locally.
Ever since the local production commenced in August 2017, sales of FAW V2 have gone up considerably. Today more and more people are buying the car, which has become quite a regular sight on our roads. Its generally unusual for any newcomer to survive in this Japanese dominated resale oriented market as many came and went during all these years. But FAW V2 against all odds have proven to be a reliable and feature-rich option and has already become the choice of many and has developed a decent resale value in used-car market as well.
It has performed well in the toughest of conditions and has gained a solid reputation among the consumers with its nimble acceleration, spacious cabin, ample cargo volume, decent equipment, safety features on offer, FAW’s extensive warranty and most importantly its price tag.
FAW V2 in Pakistan comes available with a 1.3 liter engine that is compliant to Euro IV emission standards, as is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Key features include Dual Airbags, ABS with EBD, Alloy Wheels, Power Windows, Electric Power Steering, Central Locking and Engine Immobilizer. It is backed by FAW’s 3-year/ 60,000km warranty (whichever occurs first).
The only thing that V2 lacks is the automatic transmission option. If Al-Haj is able to offer an automatic variant of the V2, its sales are going to be further improved for sure.