Suzuki introduced Mehran to the Pakistani market at the end of 1988, unaware of the changes that the tiny car being sold as the Suzuki Alto GL in other countries in 1986 would bring to the lives of Pakistanis.
Mehran boasted high sales during its lifetime as well as in its last year in the Pakistani market when it was replaced by the Suzuki Alto 660cc.
After its launch, Mehran became the apple of Pakistan’s eye, it became incredibly famous and was sold in huge numbers. Almost every Pakistani garage housed a Mehran back in those days. In fact, it was pretty much the first car of choice for people upgrading from a two-wheeler.
One of the reasons that Mehran maintained a significant position in the local market is due to its low price.
It was priced around Rs. 90,000 when it launched and was the successor of the existing Suzuki FX, which was the same size and had a lot of similarities, including engine capacity.
Suzuki Mehran is still a common sight three decades later on account of being a beloved little vehicle. It is often a topic of discussion among car enthusiasts and the general public and enjoys widespread popularity on social media as well.
Not surprisingly, Suzuki’s decision to discontinue it in 2019 irked thousands of unready citizens as there was still a huge demand for this car.
The tiny hatchback remained relatively unchanged from its launch till 2019. No revolutionary feature or gadget was added to it other than a rare change of seat covers, grill design, and light covers.
The year 2004 was a little different as the top trim was finally equipped with matching bumpers the other variants lacked, and the matching bumpers or the installation of a factory-fitted CNG kit was its only major change.
Another edge that this car has is the availability of parts for both the engine and the body at every car market.
Its 32-year tenure in Pakistan probably led to auto parts dealers stocking up on each of its spare parts. For example, an aftermarket bumper and a pair of brand new (unoriginal) rear lights would cost less than Rs. 5,000.
This emboldened Mehran drivers during rush hours, making them fearless when navigating all kinds of traffic, all thanks to cheap and easily available spare parts. Another feather in its cap is low fuel consumption, which meant that it was easy on your pocket in all aspects.
Its resale value is also unmatched. Its end of sales did not cause any harm to its value as thousands still want to buy Mehrans. The car was discontinued at a price of Rs. 865,000 but the current price for a 2019 model is more than Rs. 1,000,000.
Mehran is the car of choice for daily driving in Pakistan that is still owned by a large number of people including professionals, students, and those who upgrade from motorbikes to cars. Needless to say, its 32-year journey in Pakistan was quite successful.
