The Word of mAn[S]o0r: The phenomena that is the Mehran

You go out in any street of Pakistan, and there's one thing you'll definately see! yes.. its even more pervasive than... roads. Thats right.. im talking about the good ol Suzuki Mehran! This car is really something! Why i say this? because i drive around in a Mehran (wait for my next post which will chronical the events with my car) and its fun (completely blacked out for a better word to describe the experience)!

So why blog about it all of a sudden? Two reasons.. or rather two posts by jamil sadik and rehan alvi about their expriences with it. So instead of writing anything new.. i'll just quote from their posts (here and here).

Jamal writes

My ride (The Mehran) cost me a cool $5000, with about $600 of upgrades (A/C, stereo and speakers, alarm system…yeah, the same stuff that is standard in the crappiest Geo Metro in America). However these facts are all irrelevant, because the car gets me from point A to point B, which is alot better than my situation one week ago. It should be every man’s (and woman’s) prerogative to have a sweat-free, music-filled ride to work/school every morning. I mean, seriously, is that too much to ask? With my new pimp mobile, it certainly is not. This bad girl does 0-60 km/h (0 - 37 mph) in a lightning fast 17 seconds. That’s 35 stallions under the hood thrusting the futuristic, light-weight body of this Japanese/Pakistani hybrid forward.

While rehan starts off his post with

The car is basically a 4 door go-cart, running off a lawnmower engine which provides a stunningly awesome 35 horsepower drive. Now if that doesn’t sound like much, it’s because it isn’t. Want to know what comes standard on it, along with the one year warranty (yes you read that correctly) on parts? Well it’s basically four 12″ wheels and a windshield, making the Mehran the most stripped down car I have ever seen mass produced and sold commercially. Besides not having air conditioning, it has no power steering, no power windows and no power mirrors. Actually, it has no power whatsoever. The body is reminiscent of a 1970s assembly line production flaw and the ride comes with the free added bonus of force-feedback. Just like the latest joysticks of today, the Mehran lets you feel every bump, every vibration, every jolt as you chug along the road

but then moves on to describing just why its so damn popular

as crappy as it is on paper, this car is the Pakistani Pimp’s preferred ride. As I said above, the Mehran has sold more than any other car in Pakistan or India, EVER.

First off, this car is so small, you can park it anywhere. That doesn’t suck. Second off, it is the cheapest car you can buy in the South Asian sub-continent. Sure it’s overpriced, but that is due to the lack of competition along with crazy government taxes, two problems which plague more than just the automotive industry. Third of all, and arguably the best reason for owning one: the amazing fuel economy. Not only does this car have the option of running off of regular unleaded or natural gas, but also it gives you the option to switch between the two fuel sources on the go. Natural gas is so cheap and when you’re running off that, you can drive wherever the hell you want. It’s just that cheap. Also, the last great reason why Mehrans kick ass is that they are dirt cheap to maintain. Parts are incredibly cheap, labor is even cheaper, and the simple design of the car makes it repairable by your local village idiot mechanic.

And about sums it up! the reason's why the mehran is an experience! They are dirt cheap to maintain! Let me explain... a side view mirror on a mehran costs roughly about Rs. 75 (i know because i've bought about 4 of them so far..) while the same mirror on a Honda or Corolla runs to about Rs. 800. Similarly, a side window on a mehran costs about Rs. 150 (local made) to about Rs. 600 (for imported) while the same on a larger car would start from Rs. 2000!

So above all, mehran rocks! (till i get a new car ;))

Labels: my car