KARACHI: A ubiquitous presence on the country’s roads, the Suzuki Bolan van — known affectionately as the ‘Carry Dabba’ — is set to be discontinued by the Pak Suzuki Motor Company Ltd (PSMCL) after a production run spanning more than three decades.

From ambulances to school vans and everything in between, the Bolan has been a trusty mainstay of Pakistan’s transportation milieu ever since its launch in the 1990s.

The development first came to light after a photo circulated on social media of the last Bolan on the factory production line. An accompanying banner proclaimed ‘Bye Bye Bolan’ and signalled that it was the end of the line for the iconic 796cc van.

Talking to Dawn, a Pak-Suzuki official confirmed that production of the sliding door van had ended. The company is now looking to roll out a 660cc replacement, called the Every.

The name is not new for the Pakistani market, as imported versions of the Every have been on the roads for several years now. According to Pakwheels, the company may launch the new Every in October. However, the website cautions that Suzuki has been ‘crying wolf’ about the launch of this model for nearly three years now, and each time it would turn out to be just a rumour.

But this time, even auto part vendors seem convinced, saying that production of the Bolan had ended last week and that new Every vans have started rolling off the production lines after vendors delivered the required parts.

‘Cheap and cheerful’

The venerable Bolan was first introduced to Pakistan in the 1980s under the Carry model name and later renamed alongside other famous Suzuki rebrands, which saw the Alto become the Mehran, the Swift turn into the Khyber, and the Carry’s sister pick-up being named Ravi.

Considered the ‘cheap and cheerful’ choice for low-income households with lots of children, the Bolan has also been a staple for transporters with fleets of any size.

Ameer Khan, who provided pick-and-drop services for schoolchildren in North Nazimabad, has been using four Bolans for the last 28 years. “The first one I purchased was a 1987 model, an imported secondhand Japanese Carry which I bought for Rs80,000,” he recalls, saying that it was in the 1990s when the locally made model took the market by storm.

Mr Khan points out that the Bolan’s extremely low maintenance costs, easy parts availability and better resale value compared to other vehicles made it an obvious choice for transporters like him.

“The vehicle averages roughly 10-13km per litre of fuel, which is extremely good given the way petrol prices fluctuate.”

One of the main reasons for its reasonable price point has been the 72 per cent localisation of its spare parts. Pak Suzuki is famous (read notorious) for keeping models unchanged. The Bolan — devoid of any creature comforts or safety features like airbags or complicated electronics — is one of the simplest vehicles to run and maintain. This is reflected in its price point; its base model currently costs around Rs1.9 million.

The longevity of the Bolan’s production run, combined with the fact that its interior and exterior panels have seen little to no change or upgrade in decades, has allowed local parts makers to make hay selling cheap parts.

With no real competition from Japa­nese and Korean makers — as was the case with hatchbacks and sedans from companies such as Daewoo or Hyundai — Bolan remained the first choice for transport owners. Only the Changan Karavan, a van costing Rs3m, was competing with Bolan in this category.

For example, the Chippa Foundation — a charitable organisation that operates a fleet of ambulances — has over 1,000 Bolans operating across the country. Their narrow bodies make them the ideal choice for navigating the treacherous traffic on urban roads, both in metropolitan areas such as Karachi and Lahore and further afield in the country’s rural parts.

Chippa spokesperson Chaudhry Shahid Hussain told Dawn they are analysing the situation that will arise following the discontinuation of the Bolan and will look for other options.

What lies ahead

Even after the Bolan ends its run, its parts would remain easily available for many years due to its comprehensive localisation. However, the discontinuation may push up demand for and prices of older models, especially if the new Suzuki Every is priced higher.

This is to be expected, given the new vehicle will come equipped with air bags, air conditioner, power steering and other features, and is thought to be in the Rs2.5m-Rs3.5m price range. But the market is not yet certain what changes have been made to the locally assembled model compared to the imported versions of the Every currently on the roads.

Transporter Ameer Khan said that while a used 2010-2013 model Bolan was currently available on the market for around Rs500,000-700,000, this may be pushed up as supply diminishes and demand for the cheaper variant rises in days to come.

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2024