In recent years the global trend of owning an MPV has been on the rise, as they offer practicality and can carry 6-8 people with ease. A recent lot of these vehicles are stylish with sportier appearance and resemble more like a crossover SUV, thus making people opt for the MPVs in good numbers.
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In our market, people vastly stick to market cars due to resale but lately, the trend of owning an MPV is slowly increasing. Among the local assemblers, Pak Suzuki was the first to introduce an MPV, called the APV in late 2005. Always sold in our market as a CBU import, the APV did relatively well in its initial years but later on became a showpiece at Suzuki display centers. The Toyota Avanza launched in 2011 has always been a rare sight on the road. Avanza is also the priciest 7-seater MPV in the market, and it’s there just for the sake of being there.
In 2013, Al-Haj FAW introduced the Sirius S80 7-seater MPV in our market. Although on paper, it was a very practical & budget-friendly option, but still was never able to make a huge impact and was eventually discontinued.
The Honda BR-V on the other hand, despite being a relatively newcomer, has been enjoying tremendous success compared to all the above 7-seater MPVs in Pakistan. So what has made the Honda BR-V a success in our market while in particular, the FAW Sirius, despite being available for a much lower price tag was never able to win hearts? Let’s try to find out.
Acceptability
FAW has been operating in Pakistan since 2006 and has been doing well in the commercial and heavy vehicle sector. However, in 2012/13, it was just their beginning in the passenger vehicle foray. Back then people never really accepted FAW as a passenger vehicle manufacturer, and perhaps because of this, the vehicle saw it hard to leave the showroom floors.
The Price Factor
When launched, the FAW Sirius S80 with a 1.3-liter engine was priced at PKR 1.7 million, which at that time was higher than the resale benchmark, the Toyota Corolla XLi. When spending an amount this high, the first thing people think is to get their ‘investment’ back. Well.. believe it or not, cars are largely treated as an investment in our market. People never really considered spending 1.7m on a new Chinese car, the fate of which was unknown.
The Engine
The Sirius S80 was powered by a 1.3-liter engine, with 89hp and 120Nm of torque. It was said to be underpowered considering the fact that the car itself weighed around 1,200kg and was meant to carry 6-8 people around.
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To counter this, Al-Haj FAW introduced another version called as the ‘Sirius Grand’ in 2014 with a more powerful 1.5-liter engine under the hood, producing 103hp and 140Nm of torque.
The Quality
The built quality of the Sirius S80 was quite okay for a Chinese car. However, the interior—specifically the seats—was a major drawback. I personally know a few potential buyers who decided against purchasing the car for this very reason. The seats were hard, uncomfortable, and far from ideal. Thankfully, this issue was addressed in the Sirius Grand 1.5-liter versions released later, which came with improved seat materials, but perhaps by that time it was already too late.
Manual Transmission Only
One of the major drawbacks was the lack of available transmission options. Like most FAW vehicles that were developed during the previous decade, the Sirius came equipped with a 5-speed manual transmission only. An automatic/ CVT transmission would have helped boost the sales of the Sirius S80 in Pakistan but unfortunately, it wasn’t available.
Sticky Gear Shift
Owners found the gear shifting a bit fussy, it wasn’t as smooth as you would expect, and considering the fact that it was the only available transmission, it needed to be flawless.
The Resale Factor
We reached out to several owners selling their Sirius S80 through online platforms and social media to gather their feedback. While there were a few reported glitches, overall satisfaction levels seemed fairly decent. Notably, owners of the Sirius Grand 1.5 appeared to be more satisfied compared to those with the 1.3 version.
However, even those who currently own one, fear a lot about its resale and future in Pakistan. It’s more like a ticking time bomb, and people who were selling their Sirius, just wanted to get rid of it even when the vehicle was trouble free.
Availability of Spares
Obviously, you cannot expect the spares to be as abundant as any Suzuki or Toyota. Although in big cities the spares are available at dealerships, but for those living in smaller towns & suburbs, it was never a practical option.
Better Versions Never Made it to Pakistan
FAW introduced a few updates to the Sirius S80 in its home market of China, including a redesigned interior, new interior color schemes, and a facelift featuring exterior revisions. However, these updates were exclusive to the Chinese market.
FAW Sirius facelift in China
The FAW Sirius is doing reasonably well in South Africa with two engines and four trims on offer, backed with 3-years/ 100,000km warranty. There is also a panel van version with only two seats and body-painted side glasses to be used specifically as a cargo van or ambulance.
FAW wasn’t too Serious about the Sirius
It seemed as though the company wasn’t particularly serious about continuing the Sirius. In contrast to the heavy promotion of the V2, which offers excellent value for money compared to its competitors, the Sirius also provided a lot at a very reasonable price. Considering that the Honda BR-V is thriving at a price of PKR 2.2 million and above, the Sirius—with some minor improvements—could have been an excellent option in the sub-PKR 2.0 million price bracket under current market conditions.
The FAW Sirius S80 was well equipped with dual airbags, ABS with EBD, engine immobilizer, DVD player with reverse cam (1.5 Grand), back wiper (1.5 Grand), front & rear 3-point seatbelts, power steering, power windows, power outside mirrors, dual AC (1.5 Grand) and alloy wheels, etc. When discontinued, the Sirius S80 1.3 was priced at PKR 17.55 lac while the Sirius 1.5 Grand was priced at PKR 18.85 lac.
Makes People Stay Away from Newcomers
Unfortunately, actions like these often discourage people from trusting new brands. You can never be certain when they might pull the plug, leaving buyers stranded. Of course, companies are in business to make profits, and they’ll discontinue any product that isn’t financially viable. However, from a buyer’s perspective, experiences like this tend to reinforce their loyalty to established “market cars,” making them hesitant to explore alternatives.
Why the Honda BR-V is Successful?
To summarize, here are some reasons which have made Honda BR-V more successful than the FAW Sirius S80.
CVT gearbox:
Right from the beginning, the Honda BR-V was available in two versions, base grade and S grade, both of which were equipped with CVT gearbox. This is a huge bonus when you have to drive in congested traffic or frequent start/ stop situations. Recently Honda has also introduced a 6-speed manual variant with an introductory price set at PKR 20.99 lac. The other two versions are priced at PKR 22.61 lac for the base iVTEC CVT and PKR 23.61 lac for the iVTEC-S CVT.
Better Interior:
The BR-V offers a much better interior & seats, both in terms of color combinations and quality. Though as per Honda standards it’s still a below par interior, but compared to FAW Sirius S80, its hell better.
Interior: Honda BR-V vs FAW Sirius
Better Appearance:
Honda BR-V has an overall better appearance, obviously apart from the front-end, it’s not as pretty as it should be, but nevertheless it looks sportier and modern. Nothing to take away from FAW Sirius here as it’s a refined version of Daihatsu Xenia/ Toyota Avanza and indeed look a lot better than its cousins. However when put against the BR-V the car clearly states that it belong to the previous decade.
The Honda Brand Advantage:
The name ‘Honda’ itself is a huge advantage, Honda was over-booked without having the need to show the BR-V prior to its launch in 2017. People went crazy just by looking at the pictures and booked the car in large numbers.
The Only Local Assembled MPV
Honda BR-V is currently the only MPV in the market that’s being assembled locally. This is also considered a huge advantage over the imported options both in terms of after-sales support and resale.
Better After Sales Support:
Compared to FAW, Honda has a much larger and sophisticated dealership and after-sales network in the country. This made people opt for the MPV in great numbers without having to worry about parts & maintenance.
Better Resale:
And with everything okay, the BR-V does enjoy a decent resale value compared to any other 7-seater MPV in the market.
With more companies entering the automobile market, we can expect an increase in 7-seat MPV options in the near future. While the Toyota Avanza and Suzuki APV are still available as imports, the manufacturers seem uninterested in promoting these vehicles for high-volume sales. Currently, the Honda BR-V enjoys an unrivaled position in its class. However, if another automaker were to launch a similar vehicle with competitive pricing and features, it could potentially challenge the BR-V’s dominance. Meanwhile, FAW is preparing to introduce the R7 crossover SUV in Pakistan, but as a 5-seater, it will compete with the Suzuki Vitara and Honda HR-V rather than the BR-V.
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Do you think FAW should re-launch the Sirius S80 with an updated interior/ exterior? 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
