News of Czech Automobile representatives meeting with Pakistani ambassadors in Prague has recently surfaced on national media. Skoda, a subsidiary of Volkswagen might be coming to Pakistan and is famous for crossover SUVs like many recent entries in Pakistan by Korean and Chinese manufacturers.
Skoda has recently announced the launch of its 1.5-litre Turbo SUV Kushaq in India.
Kushak comes in two engine variants, a 1.0-litre engine with 110PS power and 178Nm torque and a bigger 1.5-litre engine with 150PS power and 250Nm torque.
On the entertainment side, the SUV features a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen with connected car technology, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a 6-speaker sound system with subwoofer, automatic climate control, ventilated front seats, a single-pane sunroof, cruise control, and analog dials with the multi-info display.
Passenger safety is secured by six airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, a rear-view parking camera, and electronic stability control.
In India, the car will cost between INR9 lac and INR17 lac.
This car is comparable with cars not yet available in Pakistan, like MG Hector, Hyundai Creta, and KIA Seltos.
Honda and Toyota recalls
On the other hand, Honda Atlas Cars Ltd (HACL) is reportedly doing a free upgrade campaign for airbag inflators in Honda Civic models 2006-12, Honda CR-V model 2008-11, and Honda Accord model 2004-12.
Read More: Honda’s “your safety is our top priority”, a deception
The company on its website said, “Honda Atlas Cars (Pakistan) Ltd. is committed to providing high-quality cars and services to its valued customers. Safety of Honda Customer is our top priority.”
GVS did a story in February on a similar ‘Free Takata Front SRS Airbag Inflator Replacement” campaign, where the company faced quite a backlash from the public.
People argued that the tagline, “your safety is our priority” is a gross misrepresentation of reality as the fifth generation Honda City, being sold as a brand-new model for the last twelve years, comes without an airbag.
People also think that under the disguise of “free service”, Honda is trying to maintain their good image while recalling the cars.
Globally, 75 million vehicles were recalled in the past due to malfunctioning inflator units or exploding airbags, which resulted in numerous injuries and fatalities.
The three vehicles mentioned in the Honda Pakistan’s promotion were a part of the global recall, and the majority of the injuries mentioned above were in Honda vehicles.
It is worth mentioning that according to Honda’s own fact sheet, the defective airbags can KILL or seriously injure you or your passengers. Here is the list of affected models according to Honda:
Thus, owners of these models of Honda should report to the nearest Honda dealership for a free upgrade.
Similarly, Indus Motors Limited has been running a special service campaign relating to “fuel pump replacement” since June 2020, in line with Toyota’s Global Campaign.
According to the website, the affected vehicles include all Toyota Corolla variants manufactured from June 2016 to June 2020 followed by the Fortuner petrol variant from August 2017 to January 2020, Hiace from June 2018 to December 2018, Prado petrol variant from August 2017 to January 2020, Land Cruiser from December 2013 to February 2019, Camry manufactured from June 2018 to July 2018, and Alphard manufactured in November 2018.
The company says that the mentioned vehicles are equipped with a fuel pump which may stop operating.
This can lead to warning lights and messages may be displayed on the instrument panel, and the engine may run rough. This may result in the engine stalling and unable to be started again.
Read More: Famous European auto manufacturer Skoda eyeing Pakistani market
The company is replacing the fuel pump for Free at any authorized dealership in Pakistan.