This revolutionary consumer value proposition, according to the firm, will aid in its quest to become a significant player in the commercial vehicle segment, observes Rajesh Rajgor
Mahindra’s Truck and Bus Division (MTB), a part of the Mahindra Group, has announced their unique and disruptive customer value proposition ‘Get More Mileage or Give Truck Back’ guarantee for their entire BS-VI range of Blazo X heavy and Furio intermediate and light commercial trucks, including Furio 7 and Jayo. The new range includes the proven 7.2 L mPower engine (HCVs) and mDi Tech engine (ILCVs) with Fuel Smart Technology and mild EGR with proven Bosch after-treatment system that results in lower Ad Blue consumption and many other technological advancements, as well as the cutting-edge iMAXX Telematics solution, all of which work together to ensure guaranteed higher mileage.
Given that fuel accounts for over 60% of a transporter’s operational costs, the Mahindra BS-VI truck series will provide them with a competitive advantage, total peace of mind and the ability to expand their transport business, resulting in higher prosperity. Speaking on the occasion, Veejay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer (Automotive Sector), Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, said, “The ‘Get More Mileage or Give Back Truck’ guarantee across the range of trucks is a landmark move for the light, intermediate and heavy commercial vehicle industry. Given the spiralling fuel prices, there wasn’t a better time to introduce this customer value proposition.”
“I firmly believe that it will reaffirm our customers’ faith in Mahindra and Mahindra’s ability to create technologically advanced, class-leading products and set higher standards for the Indian CV industry, while reflecting our commitment to the segment,” he added. Jalaj Gupta, Business Head (Commercial Vehicles Business Unit), Mahindra and Mahindra Limited, added, “The mileage guarantee was first offered on our HCV truck Blazo in 2016 and not a single truck has come back. All our new introductions ever since i.e. Blazo X, Furio ICV range and Furio 7 have delivered higher fuel efficiency, which is the outcome of the company’s superior technological prowess rooted in a deep understanding of the Indian customer.”
“Additionally, MTB is offering service guarantee to ensure higher uptime for our customers through guaranteed speedier turnaround of the truck, be it on the highway or at the dealership workshop. The state-of-the-art iMAXX Telematics technology is further helping lower the cost of ownership by providing a firm control to the transporter over his trucks, remotely. All this and the guaranteed higher mileage would eventually translate into higher prosperity of our customers,” he added. In the HCV segment, MTB already has over 55,000 trucks on the Indian roads. In the LCV segment, MTB has further strengthened its position with over 2,00,000 vehicles already on the roads. With this, the company is addressing nearly every segment of the commercial vehicle market from 3.5 tonne GVW to 55 tonne GVW.
After-Sales Service and Spares
MTB has rapidly expanded its after-sales service and spares network which now includes over 90 3S dealerships, 210 authorised service centres, 34 M-Parts plazas and spares network of more than 1,600 retail outlets to further improve the reach and support for customers on important trucking routes. The company also boasts of India’s first multilingual round-the-clock helpline, NOW, which is manned by technical experts to provide instant support to customers and drivers. The NOW mobile service vans and mobile workshops further add to the reach and agility of the support network. MTB also offers guaranteed uptime for both workshop and off-road breakdown. The breakdown service guarantee promises getting the truck back on road in 48 hours, or a compensation of Rs 1,000 per day to customers. Alongside is the workshop service turnaround guarantee of 36 hours or a compensation of Rs 3,000 per day to customers.
The Right Solutions
The MTB range is equipped with Mahindra iMAXX Telematics solution, which is based on next-generation telematics technology and provides a strong control to the customers over their fleet remotely, thereby enhancing the fleet operations’ efficiency to higher asset productivity and fleet utilisation, lower costs of operations and better fleet safety. In a chat on the sidelines of the event, Jalaj Gupta replied to the following queries:
What gives you the confidence to offer ‘Get More Mileage or Give Truck Back’ when the road conditions, driver behaviour and application for a customer differ from vehicle to vehicle?
We have been offering CRDi engines for over a decade and we have been able to guarantee mileage thanks to a clever combination of improved drivelines and vehicle specifications. We are talking about the truck’s aerodynamic design. We are talking about low-friction tyres here. As a result, the entire BS-VI migration from BS IV was based on improved drive lines and good vehicle pairings.
Our unique fuel smart technology, which is available across the range, assists our drivers in selecting the appropriate driving parameters for the vehicle based on the load and road conditions. In conjunction with global research and development specialists we decided to go ahead with moderate EGR technology when transitioning from BS IV to BS-VI. Last but not the least, the entire iMAXX system provides us with a competitive advantage. So, it’s a combination of these four to five variables that gives us the confidence to extend such a guarantee on all of our products, which range from 3.5-55 tonnes.
Would you be able to tell us how much of an impact this would mean for customers measuring the overall fluid economics i.e. fuel + Ad Blue?
It’s great that you brought up this subject because mileage encompasses not only fuel economy but also Ad Blue usage. We have the best fluid economy in the category, not just in terms of diesel economy but also in terms of Ad Blue use. At our showrooms, our sales consultants provide a detailed usage calculator based on the road, application and driver behaviour. At MTBD, we have a value establishing department that sits with a customer’s driver and learns the vehicle’s journey route across the country.
This assists them to figure out how much mileage his truck will receive. From pre-sales to getting the truck on the road and demonstrating to the customer how our trucks help them is a lengthy process. We have offered our trucks to a number of customers so that they may be loaded and driven under real-world conditions. We are claiming to be the highest and finest of all the competition models now available in the country.
How does this translate on ground? What are the areas that you want to grow?
The reason for creating this guarantee that covers the weight range of 3.5-55 tonnes is that we used to offer a mileage guarantee but it was very product or platform-specific. The only reason for making it horizontal across a truck range is that when it comes to influences like financers and bodybuilders who play a significant role in the customer decision-making process, we want them to know that the OEM has been given the highest mileage and that it has been written down. Let’s talk about something else now aside from the mileage of the operating economics section. We can now concentrate on the complete range offering the same mileage guarantee, service guarantee and breakdown support across all geographies in the country.
Would you want to elaborate on the validation you received for your efforts by a third-party i.e. Ernst and Young?
In the face of the challenges posed by the pandemic, we employed a lengthy process that lasted about a year. Consider attempting to organise competitive vehicles throughout the BS-VI year when vehicles are launched one by one. We did request that the purchaser put the automobiles through a thorough test. When we recognised we were superior, we repeated the processes on camera with the help of a third party hired by Ernst and Young. The agency kept track of not just how superior we were but also how no changes were made to the competition’s vehicles. They verified that the exams and trials were fair, that we were better and that we compared apples to apples.