Pak Suzuki has launched an exchange program through which customers can trade in their old vehicles to get a brand new Suzuki Wagon R along with an exchange bonus.
According to the details, Pak Suzuki is offering customers a chance to exchange any of their old cars with a brand new Wagon R by paying the difference. Furthermore, the company is also providing customers with an exchange bonus of Rs. 100,000. Pak Suzuki additionally offers free registration for the Suzuki Wagon R. It is worth noting, however, that Suzuki’s exchange offer is only valid for the month of July 2023.
While the offer may sound valid, the applicability only on Wagon R, that too for the month of July only raises some questions. The answer perhaps is simple because sales of Wagon R have been devastating during the last few years, especially in FY22-23. Sales of Suzuki Wagon R suffered from a deplorable 76.5% decline as only 5,434 units were sold during the recently concluded fiscal year as opposed to 23,131 sold in the preceding year. Bear in mind Wagon R sales peaked in FY2017-18 when 29,206 units were sold.
Related: FY23 was Nothing Less Than a Nightmare for Local Auto Industry
Despite the fact that sales of other Suzuki cars have also suffered significantly, the fundamental issue is Wagon R’s production versus sales ratio. If you observe the PAMA sales charts, Pak Suzuki produced 7,241 units of Wagon R in FY22-23 while only managing to sell 75% of them. This is the worst product-sales ratio in Suzuki’s lineup which renders that the company has at least 1,807 units of unsold Wagon R lying at its disposal.
The Wagon R in Pakistan which is actually the Karimun Wagon R is imported from Indonesia as CKD. Funnily enough, it was discontinued in Indonesia in November 2021 due to slow sales. But according to Suzuki Indonesia, despite getting discontinued it will continue to produce Wagon R parts & CKDs for export markets as long as demand (in export markets) stays strong. Not to mention Pak Suzuki has been the biggest importer of Wagon R parts from Indonesia.
Related: Obsolete Suzuki Wagon R Nearing a Decade in Pakistan
However, Suzuki Indonesia was only supplying parts to Pakistan due to relatively high demand. But since the demand for new vehicles in our country, especially the Wagon R has nosedived, exporting a limited number of kits of a discontinued model doesn’t make much sense for Suzuki. It’s highly likely that the company is trying to clear off the unsold stocks before the new model replaces it. Although the company displayed a new Wagon R model at the 2022 Pakistan Auto Show (PAPS), a formal announcement of its launch is yet to be made.
Whether Suzuki opts to introduce a new Wagon R in Pakistan or not, one thing is for sure: the existing model is no longer in production anywhere in the world and won’t last that much longer in our country. It will be remembered as another Pak Suzuki model to complete a decade-long production run without undergoing any significant change or upgrade whatsoever.
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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