Squad Series with crew cab among new offerings
Images Courtesy: Mr. David Hloušek
Avia Ashok Leyland Motors, making its first presence at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hannover, premiered its Squad range of trucks with new crew cabs.
Avia, a Hinduja Group company since 2006, is vigorously working on entering new markets and expanding its product portfolio. Its recent strategic moves have seen the company’s target markets expand from Central Europe, its traditional market, to four continents, including North America and Asia, with a possible entry into the Indian market in the near future.
Mr. Tomáš Jiricka, CEO, Avia Ashok Leyland Motors, says: “In recent years, Avia has taken significant steps towards global operations. Thanks to Ashok Leyland’s international network, Avia products are now being sold in four continents.
There has been good success in the Russian market where we have supplied over 200 vehicles in the last two years. We are also supplying cabins and chasses for Smith Electric Vehicles in the U.S.A., and this year we have prepared ground in Argentina, Singapore, Malaysia, and Kenya.
Also significant for us is the market in the UAE where Avia trucks are assembled at Ashok Leyland’s Ras-Al-Khaimah facility.”
The company manufactured 600 vehicles in 2011 at its Letnany plant in the Czech Republic for supplying to the European market, and is now gearing up for higher numbers in the coming years.
Its global expansion strategy has already made good impact on its sales with over 625 vehicles sold in the first nine months of 2012, a 74 per cent growth over the same period last year.
Avia’s market expansion strategy is being reinforced by a diversification of its product portfolio. The company currently makes trucks in the 6 to 12-tonne GVW range in compliance with emission norms Euro II to Euro V and Conama 5.
Its Euro II vehicles are based on Ashok Leyland’s H Series engines, while the Euro III to Euro V and Conama 5 requirements are met using Cummins’ ISbe Series engines.
Avia is currently working on vehicles meeting Euro VI regulations, while trucks in the 15 to 18 tonne GVW category are likely to be rolled out next year.