5-Year Cost of Ownership: Suzuki Alto VXR (Upgraded Model)

This blog will calculate the total cost of ownership for a new Suzuki Alto VXR Upgrade over 5 years. We will detail all major costs, including the purchase price, fuel, routine maintenance (such as oil changes and tire replacements), insurance, and the expected resale value after five years.

In the end, we’ll present you the total cost of ownership of Suzuki Alto in the course of 5 years.

The on-road purchase price of the Suzuki Alto VXR Upgraded is Rs. 2.901 million, or to be precise, it’s Rs. 2,901,046, which includes all taxes, lifetime token and registration fees, and it’s the cost for a filer. 

Throughout this analysis, we will treat this amount as part of the total 5-year expenditure, then later factor in the resale value to offset it. 

• Note: In Pakistan’s car market, new car prices have been rising rapidly due to inflation and currency depreciation. The Alto’s price has roughly doubled since its introduction in 2019 (when a base variant was around Rs. 1 million) to over Rs. 2.9 million by 2025. 

Fuel Costs Over 5 Years

Fuel is typically the largest running cost for any vehicle. We calculate the total petrol cost over 5 years based on the given usage and fuel price assumptions:

• Annual driving distance: 20,000 km per year.
• Total distance (5 years) = 20,000 km × 5 = 100,000 km.
• Fuel economy (average): 15 km per litre of petrol. (This is a conservative estimate for the Alto; in practice, the Alto 660cc can achieve around 18–20 km/L with AC on, under good conditions, but we use 15 km/L to account for mixed driving conditions.)
• Total fuel consumed (5 years) = 100,000 km ÷ 15 km/L ≈ 6,667 litres of petrol.
• Fuel price: Rs. 258.43 per litre (assumed constant over the 5 years for simplicity).
  

Using these figures, we can compute the total fuel expenditure:

• Total fuel cost (5 years) = 6,667 L × Rs. 258.43 ≈ Rs. 1,722,867 (approximately Rs. 1.72 million).

This ~Rs. 1.72 million spent on petrol is a major component of the 5-year running cost.

It equates to about Rs. 344,573 per year on fuel. Given the volatile fuel prices, this cost could vary if petrol rates change, but we are holding the price constant as per the assumptions.

Maintenance Costs: Oil Changes

Regular maintenance is needed for the car’s longevity. The key periodic maintenance given in our scenario is engine oil changes:

• Oil change interval: Every 5,000 km.
• Total number of oil changes in 100,000 km = 100,000 ÷ 5,000 = 20 oil changes over 5 years. This means roughly 4 oil changes per year (which is approximately one every 3 months, given the annual mileage).
• Cost per oil change: Rs. 6,000
  

Calculating the 5-year lubrication maintenance cost:

• Total oil change cost (5 years) = 20 changes × Rs. 6,000 = Rs. 120,000.
  

So about Rs. 120k will be spent on engine oil and filter replacements over five years. This assumes no other major service costs. 

Maintenance Costs: Tire Replacement

Tyres are another significant maintenance item. They wear out with use and typically need replacement once their tread is worn. 

• Tire lifespan of stock tyres: ~55,000 km per set. This means the original tires that came with the new car will last for roughly the first 55,000 km of driving.
• Total distance driven: 100,000 km in 5 years. By around the third year, the car would reach ~55k km, and the original tires would be due for replacement. The second set of tires would then cover the remaining ~45,000 km of the 5-year period. They would still have some usable tread left by 100k km, but for our cost calculation, one full replacement is needed within 5 years.
  
• Cost per set of 4 tires: Rs. 43,000 for a set of General tires for the Alto (we are using the General brand because it is a popular brand in the mid-budget tyres category).

From these points:

• Number of tire replacements in 5 years: 1 (one new set after the original).
• Total tire cost (5 years) = 1 set × Rs. 43,000 = Rs. 43,000.

It’s worth noting that if the car were kept longer (or driven farther), a second replacement might eventually be needed (e.g., around 110,000 km for the next set). However, within 5 years or 100,000 km, one replacement is sufficient. Good driving habits (proper inflation, rotation, alignment) can help the tires reach or slightly exceed the expected lifespan, as assumed here.

Insurance Costs

For a new car, especially one financed or of significant value, annual insurance is an important cost. The scenario specifies a fixed insurance premium:

• Annual insurance premium: Rs. 40,000 per year (average price, some companies may charge higher and some may charge lower.
• Coverage period: 5 years (we assume the owner maintains insurance each year of ownership).
  

Calculating the total:

• Total insurance cost (5 years) = Rs. 40,000 × 5 = Rs. 200,000.
  

This Rs. 200k spent on insurance buys financial protection against accidents, theft, or other damages over the ownership period. It’s essentially a fixed yearly cost. Some owners might skip comprehensive insurance after a few years to save money, but in our total cost we assume full insurance is maintained throughout.

Resale Value After 5 Years

One unique aspect of the Pakistani car market is the strong resale value of vehicles. Due to high inflation and demand-supply gaps, used cars depreciate much less than in other markets – they may even appreciate in nominal price over time. For the Alto VXR in question:

• Expected resale value (after 5 years): Rs. 2,700,000.
  

This means that after 5 years of use, the car can be sold for ~2.7 million rupees, which is only about 7% lower than its original on-road price. In other words, the car retains 93% of its value over five years, which is exceptionally high by global standards. 

In fact, in Pakistan, you can sometimes buy a new car, drive it for years, and sell it for an equal or higher price than you paid. 

While our Alto’s resale isn’t above the purchase price, the depreciation is minimal (only Rs. 201k loss over 5 years, which is more than offset by inflation). 

Net 5-Year Ownership Cost Calculation

Now, we compile all the costs over 5 years and then subtract the resale value to get the net cost of owning and operating the Alto for five years:

• Sum of all expenses over 5 years = Initial purchase price + total fuel + total oil changes + tire replacement + insurance.
  
  • Adding up: Rs. 2,901,046 (purchase) + Rs. 1,722,867 (fuel) + Rs. 120,000 (oil) + Rs. 43,000 (tires) + Rs. 200,000 (insurance) ≈ Rs. 4,986,913 in total expenditures.
    
• Resale value (5-year-old car) = Rs. 2,700,000 (money that comes back to the owner when selling the car).
  

Now, Net Cost of Ownership = Total Expenses – Resale Value:

• Net 5-year cost = Rs. 4,986,913 – Rs. 2,700,000 = Rs. 2,286,913 (approximately).
  

This net figure (~2.29 million Rs.) represents the effective money “spent” to own the car for five years, after recovering a large portion of the costs through the resale. 

Another way to interpret this number: Rs. 2.29 million over 5 years is about Rs. 457,000 per year of net ownership cost. 

Given that nearly 35% of the total expense was fuel alone, one can see how fuel efficiency and petrol price heavily influence the cost of ownership.

Below is a summary table of all the key figures discussed above:

Category	Amount (Rs.) over 5 years
Initial Purchase Price (on-road)	2,901,046
Fuel (100,000 km @ 15 km/L, Rs.258.43/L)	~1,722,867
Oil Changes (20 × Rs. 6,000)	120,000
Tires (1 replacement set @ Rs. 43k)	43,000
Insurance (5 × Rs. 40,000)	200,000
Total Expenses (5 years)	~4,986,913
Resale Value (after 5 years)	2,700,000
Net Cost of Ownership (5 years)	~2,286,913

Thanks to Alto’s excellent fuel efficiency and extraordinary retention of resale value in Pakistan’s market, the Alto proves to be an economical choice in the long run. The major expenses to budget for are fuel (~1.72 million) and the initial purchase (2.9 million tied up, but mostly recovered later).

Overall, the cost per kilometre comes out to roughly Rs. 22.87/km (net).