United introduced the 800cc Bravo hatchback in Pakistan back in September 2018, soon after Pak Suzuki officially announced to discontinue the hot-selling 3-decades old Mehran.
Related: United Bravo- From Leak to Launch
The car was anticipated as a replacement of Suzuki Mehran and due to its features on offer and relatively contemporary looks; it was believed to do well in Pakistan. However even after more than 2 years in the market, finding a Bravo on the roads is an unusual event. You might come across one in the selected cities of Punjab where the car is available, however in other parts of the country; the Bravo can only be seen online.
Living in Karachi and spending most of the times on roads, I have personally able to come across 1 United Bravo– yes ONE Bravo during the last 2 years since its launch. This is because the company is yet to establish its nationwide presence (in major cities of the country outside Punjab) in a span of more than 2 years.
Related: United Bravo Does 0-100 km/h in 42.5 seconds
Although the car looked pretty competitive on papers and is loaded with features (minus safety), still it wasn’t able to achieve the sort of success it was supposed to. According to some insider information, there is a sort of discontent between United and the parent company Dahe in China regarding the quality of cars & United is now only delivering the units based on the inventory of parts already in stock. The company is also looking for possible replacement of its vendor to carry on with its 4 wheeler operations.
There are reports that United is in talks with Chery to introduce further range of cars here, but it’s not known at this stage whether it will pull the plugs off the 800cc Bravo. United officials have declined to comment on this. Plus there was an automatic variant which was supposed to be introduced by Q1, 2020 but its nowhere in sight.
Related: United Bravo Price Increased by PKR 2.14 Lac
Furthermore the car has witnessed constant price revisions during these 2 years with company citing Rupee depreciation as the primary reason behind the increase. Despite enjoying the Greenfield status, the Bravo which was introduced against the price tag of PKR 8.5 lac saw 4 price revisions within 22 months of its launch with the newest increase of whopping PKR 2.14 lac taking Bravo’s price to PKR 11.99 lac.
Interestingly if we observe, during the last 1 year the Rupee depreciated by 5.6% from Rs 159 against a Dollar (July 2019) to Rs 168 for 1 Dollar (July 2020), however the price of Bravo was increased by 29.6% (July 2019: PKR 9.25 lac/ July 2020: PKR 11.99 lac) which never justifies the forex fluctuations.
Other than price, what else do you think hindered the true success of United Bravo in our market? Let us know with your comments.
A computer animation professional with over 23 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations, TV channels & production facilities in Pakistan. An avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver quality content to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com
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