Very nice article on Suzuki Mehran

[F86 Saber]

There is a company in Pakistan that makes large tin cans, puts wheels under ‘em and calls them cars. They got so good at this that they called the smaller tin can Alto, then after some time decided that it should be localized, hence the Mehran was born.
I have owned this little wonder, this bundle of joy that sometimes I call, when I am in a good mood, a car. The urdu speaking visitors to this website will understand the word ‘peepa’ and can relate to the review I would write, if I ever was to write one for Suzuki Mehran.

But I would never write a review for this little zipper-on-wheels. Why? You ask why! Because there are some things that you just do not do. The rational side of me (and of any sane person I have met) will not accept, much less actually call, this odd combination of nuts, bolts and metal sheets a car! I have owned an all-white Suzuki Mehran VXR CNG, costing me Rs 376,000 plus Rs 40,000 or so on own. I drove this thing of beauty around Lahore and out of it for more than a year. Never once, never ever have I called it a car. By name, yes, it was, is and will remain a Mehran. But a car? Let me explain…
The Engine: It is powered by a massive 800 CC engine that I swear you can lift straight out of the bonnit. With one hand if you have a cigarette in another. But the engine will make those pistons turn even if there is a burp worth of CNG left in the tank; it will sputter out warnings, the red light on the CNG meter will seem to glow ever brighter with each hick-up the car manages, but it will not stop till you reach the gas station. The Mehran just knows. No car I know can do this. The Mehran will take care of you regardless you take care of it or not, much like the mysterious unconditional love I keep hearing about now and then.
The Interior: Only recently technology companies are realizing that people do not want extra features in their software to be productive; products by the small company 37 Signals are built around the concept of less features means more focus on the work at hand. I am sure the owners of this small company and many other minimalists have taken their inspiration from Mehran’s interior. Combine that concept with the concept of disposable bottles and you have yourself a Mehran interior, my friends. One gear shift, one steering wheel, some space-takers disguised as Air conditioning knobs and a well-marked (with proper groves and everything) plastic emptiness for a possible tape deck; everything else is as disposable as your next 18 rupee coke bottle. The lever won’t bring the window down? Replace the lever for less than a 100 bucks. Heck, change the window while you are at it. In fact, come to think about it, there is nothing else to break or jam other than the window lever. Just beautifully magnificent practicality. Majestic even.
Exterior: On a hot day, the paint shines. With any standard screw driver, you can take apart pretty much anything. You can, if you want to, drive the screw driver through the door and into that majestic interior with one firm jab. I will not recommend it though. If you scratch the paint (why wouldn’t you?), you might as well see logos and tag lines of ghee oil brands like Dalda and the like; worry not and take comfort that you have contributed to recycling. The bumpers do not fall off, that is how tough they make ‘em, but if they do, do not fix them, just replace them with new ones. The insurance companies probably have a song for Mehran they sing everyday before starting work. I am sure.
Drive: Nimble. With the four tyres and all of ‘em touching planet Earth, you can’t go wrong. The car does have a habit of turning on its side if you behave too rashly. I was lucky not to be so rash. But the car drives and cuts through traffic like a hot knife through a slab of butter. Once you get the hang of the gear shifts and figure out which gear gets stuck and which ones offer more control, you will be the ‘dude’ of the streets.In one of many excursions out of Lahore, I have actually tried to get a speeding fine. The Mehran won’t let me. Like I said, it knows and it gives a damn.
Safety: Beats Volvo, but don’t compare.
So there you have it, my honest-to-God opinion of my ex-car. The Suzuki Mehran. If Transformers ever come to Lahore, my white Mehran will be the cute one. Hell yeah!


Credit: momekh

 

[Signalian]

PakSuzuki…It Is Time To Bid Farewell To Mehran

Some 31 years ago, engineers at Suzuki Motors Japan developed the 2nd generation of Suzuki Alto, better known to us as the ‘Suzuki Mehran’. The 1st generation of Alto was actually called ‘Suzuki FX’ in our market. While globally the life span of 1st generation Alto (FX) was from 1979-1983 & the 2nd generation Alto (Mehran) is 1984-1988, in our market the FX was available from 1983-1988 while the Mehran, which appeared with an Alto badge in 1989 is still available as a ‘brand new car’ in 2015, and from the looks of it, will be available for years to come.

When the 2nd generation Alto (Mehran) arrived in our market back in 1989, it used to cost roughly around Rs. 90,000/- PKR. And like its predecessor, the Suzuki FX, was the cheapest car available in the market. With an 800cc carburetor engine under the hood and a very basic leaf-spring rear suspension setup, the car was undoubtedly one of the easiest and cheapest vehicles to maintain. It was a dream of a common man, to afford a car and Mehran provided just that. With little or no drive pleasure, zero safety and a rather uncomfortable drive, it still rules the hearts of many. However as the years kept passing by, the built quality is on a decline while the prices kept shooting up.

In a time when technology is at its very best, when we use smartphones, wireless broadband, maintain our bank accounts and transfer funds without having the need to go to bank, we have flat-screen LED televisions at our home, communicate via 4G mobile internet, but travel in a car with carburetor and leaf springs. In a time when cars around the world are equipped with latest tech gadgets at throwaway prices, they are environmentally friendly, consume least amount of fuel and are equipped with modern active and passive safety equipment, Mehran lacks all the above. Since it was developed during mid 80’s utilizing a very basic technology from the late 70’s, with no collision protections, no airbags and no ABS brakes, Mehran is one of the most unsafe vehicles to be produced these days. Although it has a small engine and according to people its fuel efficient, but technically it lacks 5 speed transmission and consumes more fuel than any modern engine of similar capacity.

Today most of the people are demanding a change, and it’s quite justified as well. The Mehran since 1989 hasn’t evolved at all. In about 25 years apart from the electronic fuel injection, the only ‘technological advancements’ it received were different headlamps and bumpers, the radiator grill…and yes, 2 less air-conditioning ducts in the dashboard. Although Mehran was a very successful car of its time, in fact it still is, provided there is no competition in its class. Yet it’s extremely cheap to maintain, reliable and economical too, spare parts are dirt cheap and are available all over the country. However good things should be replaced by better things and that’s what PakSuzuki should do. But instead, a whooping price tag of PKR 625,000/- for the base VX version and PKR 748,000/- for the VXR CNG isn’t by any means justified. If you calculate the on-road price it might end up a little less than PKR 800,000/- If you are spending such a huge amount buying a Mehran and then you take a look at it and ask yourself, “Is this what my hard-earned money’s real worth is?” I am pretty sure the answer will be an absolute NO. With such a high price tag it’s no longer a “ghareeb admi ki gari” as it once use to be known as.

Around the world the 2nd generation Alto was produced in different countries but was eventually phased out. It was no doubt one of the popular cars in various markets but the difference between price and the features offered was drastic. In India, the Maruti 800 was phased out in 2013, but it was available from just 2,78,000/- INR (PKR 4,49,000/-) up to 3.18 lac INR (PKR 5,14,000/-). A little comparison with Chinese Alto might give a better idea of how a car from mid 80’s can be modernized while still justifying the price tag. Zotye Auto, a small auto manufacturing company in China acquired Jiangnan Autos who bought the whole vehicle intellectual property rights from Changan-Suzuki joint venture enterprise. In 2010 Zotye released the TT with a price tag starting from just $2,830 (PKR 3,01,800/-) and up to $4,200 (PKR 4,48,000/-) for the fully loaded version, as opposed to the local Mehran which is roughly around $6,000. The Zotye TT boasts a totally redesigned dashboard, 4 spoke steering wheel, cup holders, digital odometer, an Mp3 player with USB input, an Efi engine, front & rear seat-belts, collapsible steering column, ABS brakes, proper rear suspension with coil springs and dampers, alloy wheels, proper retract side mirrors etc.

This is a whole lot to offer than what PakSuzuki delivers us, in much lesser amount than what we pay. By the start of next year, Mehran will be entering 27th year of its life in our market, and the improvements that Paksuzuki have made over the course of nearly 3 decades are next to nothing. With a price tag this high, they should have given at least half of the stuff offered by Zotye, even then we believe it’s time to say good bye to Mehran. The Alto is currently in its 8th generation globally, it’s high time for PakSuzuki to give Mehran a break and offer us safe and modern fuel efficient cars that are safer for the environment as well as the occupants.

 

[nizamuddin]

nice sharing