Ashok Leyland breaks ‘U’ ground

Fifteen more variants for popular application segments – in additional configurations – will follow over the coming year, as the company progressively replaces its existing range with the new, modular platform that allows it to produce – economically – vehicles customised for individual users’ requirements.

The company expects to sell up to 6,000 U-trucks in the next three months, ramping up as it introduces 2–4 models each quarter over the next five quarters.

The tractors, priced in a range from Rs 16.32 to 23.41 lakh, come with a four-year drivetrain warranty and 40,000km synchronised service intervals for all key aggregates, a first in the Indian truck market. The tippers, on which a two-year/5,000 hours/200,000 km warranty is available, start from Rs 14.43 lakh, going up to Rs 31.81 lakh.

Together with the new trucks, Ashok Leyland is introducing a personal touch for its customers — every driver of a U-truck will be given a kit to meet some of his requirements on the road. This includes a mobile phone with a lifetime incoming connection, a blanket, a windcheater, two T-shirts, a torch and a document holder. Further, every U-truck driver is covered by an insurance of Rs 1 lakh against accidents and injuries.

The new vehicles are about three percent costlier than the corresponding models from Ashok Leyland’s conventional range, but managing director R Seshasayee pointed out that they will be up to 20 percent better in terms of performance.

The H-series engine is India’s first common-rail-fuelled engine in its class in series production, and uses second-generation (1800 bar) componentry from Bosch. Ashok Leyland’s heavier-duty 8.1-litre Neptune engine will be introduced in 2011; the all-new NextGen cab will be introduced a year later, Seshasayee said.