By: Bradley Taylor
The Toyota Corolla has been manufactured by the Japanese automaker since the 1960s, and by 1974, had been declared the world’s best-selling car. Synonymous with reliability and practicality, this small family car is sold all over the world.
But one country in particular has developed something of a love affair with this particular model – and that country is Afghanistan!
Why is the Toyota Corolla such a popular car in Afghanistan?
Just as the Ford Mustang is a popular car in the United States, Afghanistan’s popular car of choice is the Toyota Corolla. There are many reasons why this car is much-loved:
- Price – despite the high import taxes levied against foreign cars, the Toyota Corolla is actually quite affordable by many Afghan drivers. The most sought-after models tend to be ones that are a few years old, although brand new models are also purchased by people in Afghanistan.
- Practicality – there are obviously all sorts of cars in the world which range in a number of different shapes and sizes. The Toyota Corolla is the perfect small to medium-sized family car, as it offers good cabin and boot space, comfort and must-have features such as air conditioning.
- Reliability – Japanese cars are pretty well-known for their reliability, especially if they are built by companies such as Toyota, who often go to extreme lengths to ensure that their vehicles are built to the highest quality standards.
- Availability of spare parts – because a vast proportion of the cars on Afghan roads are Toyota Corollas, it is extremely easy to get spare parts. Many people tend to recycle parts from wrecked models, but there is also good availability of brand new parts too.
- Good on gas – another reason why this car is so popular is because it offers a good mix of fuel economy and engine performance, which is essential when you are living and working in a country such as Afghanistan.
If you ever take a trip out to Afghanistan and wander around the city streets of Kabul, for example, you will notice that even the vast majority of the city’s yellow taxi cabs are Toyota Corollas! Up to 80% of the cars on Kabul’s busy and often congested streets are Toyota Corollas, according to Kabul’s traffic police chief, General Asadullah Khan.
Author biography – Bradley Taylor is a freelance writer who writes across a variety of subjects and particularly loves writing about everything automotive. He loves travelling and learning anything about everything. You can find him on Twitter and Google+.
I need this report
Interesting article, but I wonder about the comparison to the Ford Mustang. That’s hardly the #1 choice in the U.S. In fact, I’ll bet there are a lot more Corollas on the road in the U.S. than Mustangs.
I totally agree with this article. I´ve been in Afghanistan twice, I got surprised of how many Toyota cars (not only Corolla) but also Hillux, Prado… there were and how the Afghans kept them running in really hard conditions. I realized then that they are really good cars. Back at home, I bought a Toyota Corolla, great car. Now I am going to buy a new one, Toyota of course. Reliable cars indeed.
They are used cars and the spare parts are cheap and easily available. Toyota cars are solid and heavy duty vehicles.
i totally agree with these guys
but 3rd world countries they need something cheap fuels and last longer
in all countries, Japanese spare parts are hard and last longer than any manufacturer ever
cheap fuels, easy to pull off the parts and reliable
I love my people and all afghans
we are the best and we deserve the bests but we don’t have enough educated people and all people around us dont let us to do!!!
dont forget to love eachother and respect
wish u success guys