KATHMANDU: The scooter market is experiencing a remarkable boom in Nepal. Automobile dealers say they are seeing a surge in demand after a period of economic slowdown.
Scooter imports more than doubled to 78,077 units in 2024, up by 114.18% from 36,454 units in 2023, data from the Department of Customs shows.
With the economy gradually recovering, scooter imports are rising due to increased economic activity, enhanced mobility and the growing consumer preference for affordable, accessible transport.
Dominant Brands
Although over half a dozen brands sell gasoline-powered scooters in the Nepali market, only a handful of them are doing well in the market. Honda, Hero, TVS, Yamaha, Suzuki, Vespa and Aprilia are among the popular scooter brands in Nepal.
Honda dominated the market in 2024, accounting for nearly half of all scooter imports during the year. Syakar Trading Ltd, which represents Honda in Nepal, imported 37,917 units, representing 48.56% of the total market. Honda’s models like the Dio, Dio 125 and Grazia were the top-selling models in the review year.
Other brands trail significantly behind Honda. TVS came second with 20,494 units imported in 2024, helped largely by the TVS NTorq 125. Nearly all of TVS’s scooter imports were NTorq units.
Yamaha remained in the third spot with 14,260 scooters imported in 2024. The Yamaha RayZ R series was a standout performer for Yamaha. Fascino and Aerox 155 models also performed well during the year.
Hero, once a major player, has seen its market share decline considerably. In 2024, Hero imported just about 3,000 scooters, a fraction of Yamaha, TVS and Honda’s figures. The company’s sole offering, the Xoom 110, entered the market only in April, which affected its impact and sales.
Other brands like Vespa and Aprilia collectively imported 2,406 units in 2024.
