Suzuki Cultus finally ends production in Pakistan

Ever heard of the Suzuki Cultus? This American-designed Japanese-developed car was built around the world since 1988 in the shape seen here. It was available around the world as the Suzuki Swift, the Holden Barina, the Subaru Justy, the Maruti Esteem, the Changan Suzuki, the Chevrolet Sprint and the Pontiac Firefly, among others. Even though the Firefly and its brethren haven’t been seen on UAE roads since the 1990s, it still persevered in Pakistan as the Suzuki Cultus. But now, after a third of a century in production, Suzuki has decided to wind up the Cultus model in the Pakistan market as well.

Pakistan Suzuki Motors Ltd has sent a notice to the company’s authorised dealers on January 31, saying the Suzuki Cultus would be discontinued from February 1, 2017.

The Cultus was offered in Pakistan with a 1.0-litre SOHC 4-cylinder engine that produced a measly 63 hp. It was mated to a 5-speed manual. The discontinuation follows a trend as Suzuki also discontinued their Mehran model in Pakistan a few months ago. This was also an outdated model and Suzuki aims to improve the collective pollution ratings of their line-up as the Cultus was only an Euro II-spec compliant car. The neighboring Indian car market saw the demise of the Cultus-based Esteem nearly a decade ago.