Myanmar’s automotive industry has taken off.

The car market in Myanmar is still dominated by used right-hand steering cars that were mainly imported from Japan during the past - although actually all vehicles drive on the right-hand side of the road. In 2017, the government finally regulated the car import for new vehicles by only allowing left-hand steering cars.
2017 was a turning point for the new car market in Myanmar since the vehicle sales jumped from about four thousand cars in 2016, to more than 10,000 in 2018. Locally assembled car maker Suzuki seemed to have profited most from this boom.

The main trigger for this off-take is the greater affordability of cars as manufacturers like Suzuki offer attractive installment and free maintenance packages that were not available before. Locally assembled cars are available immediately- no need to wait for the car to be imported.
MSR has been studying the market for many years by talking to vehicle retailers, car owners and non-owners about transportation needs, path to purchase, selection criteria, model evaluations, brand images and purchase triggers – to mention a few.