The vehicle comes fitted with 870cc twin cylinder engine manufactured by Greaves and a five-speed gearbox. With a bigger loading area and higher ground clearance, it boasts of a mileage of 22 km/litre.
Commenting on the new vehicle, Mr. Ravi Chopra, Chairman & Managing Director of Piaggio India, said: “The Ape Truk Plus, the second in our range of 4-wheeler solutions, sets new standards in the one-ton 4-wheeler segment. It offers high levels of fuel efficiency and mileage without compromising on power. In fact, this vehicle is an amalgum of power and mileage that is unique in its category. I believe customers looking for significant levels of value for money should find this vehicle a smart choice”.
Piaggio launched its 4-wheeled mini truck Ape Truk a couple of years ago. The company has so far sold over 16,000 units. The Ape Truk is a sub-one tonner mini-truk with a carrying capacity of 865 kg. It is powered by a single-cylinder 482cc engine. Both the Ape Truk and Ape Truk Plus have been launched in the cargo segment. The company is planning to launch the passenger version in 2010.
Mr. Ashutosh Khosla, Director – Sales & Marketing, is highly optimistic of the future of the Ape Truk Plus. He said: “The Truk Plus is a tailor-made solution at the mid level of the 4-wheeler cargo category that should become a trend-setter at this price-point. True to our tradition of selling solutions and not products, we believe the Ape Truk Plus is an optimal solution in the one-ton transport category. Our 12-month warranty and eight free services bear testimony to our confidence in this vehicle”.
Piaggio now offers two models in the 4-wheeler mini-truk category, the Ape Truk, which is a sub-one tonner priced at Rs. 2.25 lakhs and the Ape Truk Plus, which is a one-tonner, priced at 2.76 lakhs. The market size of 4-wheeled mini truks is around 9,000 units per month, with the Tata Ace commanding a major share of the market. Piaggio currently has a 10 per cent market share in the segment.
Piaggio is the pioneer of light transportation solutions in India, offering a range of three- and four-wheeled vehicles that are customized to meet the diverse transportation needs. Today these constitute a vital link in secondary and territory distribution across the country.
Piaggio’s range of Ape 3-wheelers have revolutionalised the light transportation business and provided a meaningful livelihood to lakhs of small and medium entrepreneurs. Piaggio’s undisputed leadership in the segment is borne out by its market share of 42 per cent and customer base of over eight lakhs.
Aerodynamically designed at the advanced Piaggio R&D; Centre, Truk Plus ensures smooth and effortless movement of loads. Its bigger load body ensures significantly higher loading volumes. Engineered for higher ground clearance and all-terrain capability, the Truk Plus takes the toughest road conditions in its stride. Its stability and road grip are further enhanced by its 13 inch wider and bigger radial tyres. Three-side openable panels for comfortable loading, front disc brakes and a slew of other thoughtful features make the vehicle plus a winner through and through. And all this comes with sleek contemporary Italian styling and car-like comfort offered by its plus interiors.
Backing up the Ape Truk Plus will be Piaggio’s world class sales and service network of over 850 outlets that consistently provide a comforting circle of trust and confidence to lakhs of Piaggio customers across the country, for 11 years now.
For over a decade now, Piaggio has built a reputation for providing customized solutions for diverse transportation needs. Today, over three lakh tonnes of cargo is transported across India on Piaggio’s Ape three- and four-wheelers. In just 10 years, the company has emerged the leader in the diesel three-wheeler category.
Piaggio has an established capacity of 180,000 units for three-wheelers, which can be increased to 200,000 units based on market demand. For the four-wheeler, the company has established capacity to manufacture 24,000 units which can be ramped up to 48,000 units as per market demand.
Piaggio boasts of a marketshare of well over 50 per cent in the three-wheeler cargo segment and over 40 per cent in the three-wheeler passenger segment. It is also planning to launch a small three-wheeler, perhaps a petrol version, later this year or early next year.
