The new LCV, to be launched in the second quarter of 2011, is being produced at AL’s Hosur plant. The 100 per cent indigenised DOST is engineered and developed by the AL team with the design support from Nissan.He said the new LCV is more suitable for those who would like to upgrade their business from three-wheelers to four-wheelers and mostly operated by independent owners. As far as LCVs are concerned, there is apparently a tremendous amount of affinity between the products and their owners. AL’s entry into the LCV segment marks a fresh chapter in the company history.
Dr. Sumantran further said that the LCV with an initial capacity of, 150,000 units would be the first of the three products agreed upon by the two companies for joint launch within three years. While DOST will be made at AL’s Hosur plant, the Nissan batch of LCVs will be produced at the Oragadam plant of Nissan from 2012. The third model of LCV is expected to be produced at AL’s existing plant.
Referring to the investments on the LCV project, Dr. Sumantran pointed out that though the company originally proposed an outlay of Rs. 2,300 crores, the cost could be reduced to half, thanks to utilisation of the existing land at the Hosur facility. At the end of the third year of operation, the JV company may go in for a greenfield project. There are plans for export of vehicles as well as components in due course.
In order to have an individual focus on the LCV, Ashok Leyland has appointed 25 new dealers with dedicated dealership facilities. Though the company’s current focus is on the goods segment, the passenger version of the vehicle is expected to be introduced next year.
A new level of experience
Dr. Sumantran also said: “The Indian market is rapidly evolving and customer expectations are growing. We believe that the LCV segment is ready for a substantial upgradation of products that yet offer low cost of ownership. The Ashok Leyland DOST, with its carefully calibrated design and features, attempts to offer a new level of experience to the Indian customer. Its design reflects the philosophy of both partners – blending the long traditions of quality and comfort of Nissan with the proven record of rugged reliability and fuel efficiency of Ashok Leyland.
Dr. Andy Palmer, Senior Vice-President, Nissan Motor Company, and Chairman, Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles Ltd., in his address, observed that this star rating joint venture between AL and Nissan would turn out a most reliable product meeting the entire expectations of Indian customers. Though most of Nissan’s overseas operations have been affected by the recent natural disasters that ravaged Japan, the Indian JV won’t be affected because all the components for the vehicle would be fully sourced locally.
“The product blends the best in terms of Japanese engineering from Nissan, with local relevance that Ashok Leyland brings to the table. It represents a very attractive value proposition to the small and medium businesses that it is targeted at, and we are confident that it will find wide acceptance when launched”, he added.
Powered by a specially-developed, 55 hp high-torque, three-cylinder, turbo-charged Common Rail Diesel engine, the vehicle has a payload capacity of 1.25 tonnes. The Delphi-TVS Common Rail System fitted in this AL DOST LCV ensures better performance & high fuel efficiency. Reflecting the growing expectations of the Indian LCV customer, the Ashok Leyland DOST will be available in three versions: a base version with manual steering, a mid version with power steering and a higher version which will have dual tone interiors, power steering and AC. The vehicle will be available in both BS-III and BS-IV versions.
Mirroring the evolution of the entire Indian car and light truck market, the small commercial vehicle segment of vehicles of less than 3.5 tonnes has been witnessing a perceptible upward shift in terms of features, performance and payload, and the Ashok Leyland DOST has been positioned as a contemporary, powerful yet highly efficient product. With the hub-and-spoke model fast gaining ground, it is well-placed to ride the robust demand for vehicles making last-mile deliveries.
