KATHMANDU : Nepal’s passenger car market slowed down in fiscal year 2025/26, with total imports falling to around 15,800 units from the previous fiscal year. The decline was largely due to unsold inventory carried over from FY 2024/25 and softer consumer demand, reducing the need for fresh imports.
Despite the slowdown, electric vehicles continued to dominate the market. EVs accounted for around 65 percent of all passenger car imports, with eight electric models featuring among the country’s 10 most imported cars. BYD, Tata, Deepal, Dongfeng, Hyundai, Kia, iCAUR, Omoda, Jaecoo, MG, Mahindra and Suzuki were among the brands with the highest import volumes.
The BYD Atto 2 emerged as Nepal’s most imported passenger car during the fiscal year. Official distributor Cimex Inc. imported 2,264 units, making the compact electric SUV the market leader less than a year after its launch.
The BYD Atto 1 secured second place with 1,299 units, giving BYD the top two positions in the import rankings.
The Tata Tigor EV ranked third after Sipradi Trading imported 1,002 units, driven largely by demand from the taxi segment.
The Hyundai Creta was the highest-ranked petrol model in fourth place with 793 units, including both completely built units (CBUs) and CKD kits, as the SUV is now assembled locally in Nepal.
The Deepal S05 finished fifth with 785 units, followed by the Dongfeng Nammi Vigo in sixth place with 687 units. The Tata Punch EV secured seventh with 516 units, while the iCAUR V23 claimed eighth after 512 units were imported.
The Kia Sonet, the second petrol-powered model in the top 10, ranked ninth with 473 units. The BYD Sealion 7 rounded out the list in tenth place with 446 units.
Outside the top 10, the Omoda E5 recorded 294 units, followed by the Kia Seltos with 291 units, BYD Atto 3 with 257 units, Dongfeng Nammi 01 with 250 units, Jaecoo J5 with 212 units, Jaecoo J6 with 189 units, Tata Nexon EV with 174 units, MG S5 EV with 140 units, and the Leapmotor B10 with 137 units imported during the fiscal year.
