KARACHI: Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited (PSMCL) has reportedly suspended bookings of Alto AGS along with its Cultus VXL, and Cultus AGS variants. According to market sources, the decision was made in light of the shortage of semi-conductors at the international level, forcing the company to restrain production of the three models.
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Earlier, Business Recorder had reported that Pak Suzuki suspended bookings for the Cultus with multiple dealers citing chip shortage as the reason.
Meanwhile, sources further said that the company had also revised delivery times against the booking Alto VX and VXR to four months, and Wagon R for all versions to four months, Cultus VXR for four months, Ravi & Bolan for two months.
This has caused serious difficulties to the customers who made 100 percent upfront payments at the time of booking of their vehicles. Moreover, the sources said that the company was also contemplating a substantial price jump in its variants due to PKR depreciation.
Shafiq Ahmed Shaikh, head of Public Relations at Pak Suzuki, said that the company was forced to take a lot of measures following high production cost, due to a historic hike in the dollar. He said that storage of semi-conductors at the international level was one of the topmost concerns.
Shafiq said that the company was striving to facilitate its customers and booking of majority of the Suzuki variants was continuing. "But if the shortage of semi-conductors persists, the company has no other option but to suspend bookings."
The shortage of semiconductors has forced auto manufacturers to reduce their production globally. The shortage occurred after car production was suspended early during the pandemic.
However, as the situation normalised, and demand picked up, companies have faced a dearth of semiconductors as its capacity has been utilised by electronics companies. Auto analysts anticipate that the shortage of semiconductors would remain till 2022.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021