Driving a 2003 Suzuki Wagon across Vietnam: Journey through all 63 provinces, only short of Everest’s ascent

At the age of 63, Mr. Nguyen Ky Trung from Hanoi has dedicated a quarter of his time to “befriending” a 2003 Suzuki Wagon. For Mr. Trung, this Wagon has a special significance as it has traveled from the South to the North, overcoming many challenging roads. The car has become a close friend of Mr. Trung on his journeys.

Mr. Trung is a long-standing member of the Suzuki Wagon Club in Vietnam, having joined since its early days. While many members of the club have said goodbye to switch to other car models, Mr. Trung is among the few who have continued to stay loyal to his Wagon up until now.

We had the opportunity to meet Mr. Trung and some members of the Suzuki Wagon Club to chat and learn about why he has such a strong affection for this car model.

Hello, Mr. Trung. It’s rare to see someone who has been so attached to a car for over 15 years. What brought you to the Wagon model and why haven’t you changed your car during this time?

I have had a Class C driver’s license since 1991. The first car I used was a truck.

After switching to a passenger car, I bought a Hyundai Getz but quickly got rid of it because I didn’t like it. I can’t explain the exact reasons why I didn’t like it, I just simply didn’t feel satisfied.

After selling the Hyundai Getz, I bought a Mitsubishi Jolie and a Suzuki Wagon. Later, I gave the Jolie to my relatives in the South, while I have still been using the Wagon until now.

I chose the Wagon because it has a versatile and user-friendly design. When driving this car, I feel it is spacious, airy, and although it is small, it has a very spacious interior. I have tried many cars in the same small segment nowadays and found them to be very cramped and inconvenient.

When I first bought the car, I never thought I would be attached to it for so long. But now it has been over 15 years and I still love and cherish my Wagon. Part of the reason is that the car is still very practical and easy to use at this time, and the other part is the emotional connection with the members of the Suzuki Wagon Club who have kept me engaged.

In the club, we have a member who used to be the Minister. He still uses this Wagon. He bought that car a long time ago and still uses it occasionally for playing golf or taking his wife to the market.

That’s the love and passion for the Wagon, just like mine and some other long-time members of the club with this car model.

Some members of the club mentioned that you are an older member who is very enthusiastic about long-distance trips. Over the past 15 years, how have you used the Wagon?

In addition to using the car for daily family needs, I have traveled throughout Vietnam with this Wagon. I have been to all 63 provinces in the country. Many of these trips were made with members of the Suzuki Wagon Club.

I have traveled on all the famous mountain passes, including the four famous passes. From the South to here, there are Bao Loc Pass, Khanh Le Pass, in the Central region there are An Khe Pass, Mang Yang Pass, then Vi O Lac Pass, and Lo Xo Pass before going out to the North, where I have driven the Wagon through all the mountain passes in the Northwest. I have not traveled just once, but many times. The roads back then were not as beautiful and convenient as they are now.

When going up the mountains, I have even explored roads to the deep villages. There are small, rugged roads, muddy roads, and we have driven through all of them.

Which was the most difficult route you have taken and which trip was the most memorable for you, sir?

Regarding challenging routes, I remember the section of Hanh Phuc road, starting from Bac Sum slope (Hà Giang). I went there for the first time in early 2011. The road was winding, without any guardrails for protection, and there were very few cars. Most of them were only high-axle 2-wheel-drive vehicles. During that trip, I drove the Wagon to the top of Lung Cu Pass. The road is beautiful now, unlike the past.

There have been times when I went to places where the car couldn’t make it, so I had to rely on buffalo carts, like the trip to Ong Hoang Bay temple (Bao Ha, Lao Cai), for example. From Yen Bai, the road leading to the temple was extremely difficult, especially during rainy days when the road was muddy. The second road from Pho Rang was only 10-12 km long, but it was also very bad. The reason for the bad condition was the presence of mineral mines, where vehicles were constantly moving. Back then, it took us several days to reach the temple, not an easy journey like driving on the expressway nowadays.

There are many difficult roads, I can’t remember them all. The hardest ones are probably the narrow roads leading to the remote villages. The roads are not long, only a few kilometers, but they are very rough and only a few dare to drive their cars on them.

How are you able to drive a small-engine car like the Wagon for such a long time, traveling across Vietnam, conquering difficult mountain passes and treacherous terrains? Typically, people tend to choose powerful motorcycles, high-ground clearance vehicles, or 4-wheel drive cars to reach those places you mentioned.

If it’s about speed racing, this Wagon cannot compete with modern cars in the same segment. However, when it comes to climbing mountain passes, this car is not inferior at all.

There was a time when I went to Hoang Su Phi (Hà Giang) with the Suzuki Wagon Club in 2019. There were nearly 20 Wagon cars traveling together. It was the rainy season and the asphalt road was very slippery due to flowing mud. We asked the locals and they said the road was passable, some cars had driven through, but they didn’t know which cars they were. So we were confident and continued the journey.

When we drove from Hoang Su Phi to Bao Ha, we encountered a steep slope where a Ford Transit and a Ford Everest were stopped at the foot of the hill. The drivers were outside using sticks to prevent the wheels from slipping. We inspected the situation and believed that it was possible for us to cross, so we asked the Transit and Everest to move back and let our convoy of nearly 20 Wagons try first. In the club, we have skilled drivers with a lot of experience. The two Wagons easily crossed the slope without much difficulty, and then the whole team followed suit.

There is no complicated secret, it mainly depends on driving skills and understanding your own car. For example, with a front-wheel-drive car like the Wagon, you have to constantly shake the steering wheel to clean the mud and create traction with the underlying asphalt surface. With a rear-wheel-drive car like the Everest, you have to keep the steering wheel straight to make the front wheels turn and create a track on the muddy path to help the rear wheels grip. We instructed the Transit and Everest drivers accordingly, and both cars easily crossed the slope.

Another advantage of the Wagon when climbing passes is that the car is very lightweight. People often say “Suzuki drives and pushes.” The car is lightweight, so if it can’t move forward, you can get out and push.

Having traveled across Vietnam many times and conquered such difficult routes, has your Wagon ever broken down on the road, sir?

My Wagon has never broken down on the road. The most important thing is that I have to understand the car, have driving skills, and before each trip, I carefully check the car, especially the cooling systems.

The current car market offers a wide range of models with modern features. Have you ever thought of changing to a different car model recently?

Those who buy and use a Wagon nowadays usually belong to three main types. The first type is those who add it to their collection, the second is those who need a practical car for work (because it is spacious, practical, able to transport goods, durable, and affordable), and the third type is those who love the car for their passion. I currently belong to the third type. Instead of choosing a different car, I prefer to upgrade my beloved Wagon.

When it comes to car modification, there are many things you can do. I can easily add anything I like to the car. For example, I have installed Lexus power-adjustable leather seats, an Android entertainment screen, additional speakers, and modified projectors for improved lighting.

When the Wagon was first imported to Vietnam, it was stripped of almost all equipment. The reason, in my opinion, was to reduce costs and compete with the Daewoo Matiz at that time.

Fortunately, the Chinese market uses this car, so I was able to obtain many genuine accessories to upgrade my car. I changed the original non-power-assisted steering to an electric power-assisted one. I replaced the halogen headlights with bi-xenon ones. The Chinese instrument cluster is also beautiful and shows more information. All of these accessories are genuine Suzuki parts and are still available to this day.

Thank you for sharing. I wish you many more enjoyable and meaningful journeys with your Suzuki Wagon during this Tet season.