Daily Times

According to rumors, Pak Suzuki Motor Company is going to phase down its second-generation Swift model in Pakistan, over 12 years after its launch, while bookings for the Cultus have been temporarily halted.

Swift, the second-generation hatchback, will be discontinued after August 2021, according to a notification issued by the company in August of last year.

Although there has been no official announcement from Pak Suzuki, few media reports say that multiple authorised dealers have reported that they have been informed of the current model’s discontinuation. Suzuki, on the other hand, has temporarily halted Cultus bookings, amidst rumors claiming that no new orders will be accepted for at least a few weeks. Several Suzuki stores in various cities have stated that new bookings have been halted until further notice. A dealer explained, “The chip scarcity is a factor– it’s been about a month since we’ve taken a new booking for the Cultus.”

Suzuki isn’t the only company suffering from the worldwide semiconductor chip crisis, which shows no signs of abating. In response, nearly every automaker worldwide, including GM, Volkswagen, Ford, and Toyota, has been forced to decrease production and temporarily shut down operations. During the pandemic, Pakistan was also plagued by semiconductor supply chain problems, which boosted demand for chips used in electronics like PCs as people worked from home and slowed production at numerous automakers. According to a regulatory filing, the total production volume across both facilities might be about 40pc of the usual capacity. Separately, last month, reports surfaced that Pak Suzuki had decided to withdraw the Bolan and Ravi models as well. The business intends to replace Bolan with a minivan, according to company officials.

Meanwhile, one of the main reasons for the present Swift’s demise could be its waning popularity or possibly cannibalism by Cultus. In recent years, the business has made no significant alterations or upgrades to its second-generation hatchback, which has resulted in lower sales. Swift sales have decreased from 5,509 units in 2018-19 to 2,316 units in 2020-21, according to the Pakistan Automotive Manufacturers Association. The Covid-19 pandemic hampered sales in 2019-20 (1,828), thus they can’t be used as a standard.