Scania reveals its models for India

Photograph: Henrik Fagrenius, managing director, Scania Commercial Vehicles India, laid the foundation stone for the new plant at Narasapura. Aftersales director Suresh Ekambaram (left), sales director Sivakumar Viswam (right) and finance director Stefan Wiklund were also part of the ground-breaking ceremony.

July 28, 2012: The first domestically assembled Scania trucks will roll out from the Swedish manufacturer’s Indian plant at Narasapura near Bangalore in April 2013. The range will include, in addition to the mining tipper upgraded with Scania’s new 13-litre global platform for Euro III through Euro VI, two on-highway tractor models and two for heavy haulage. These vehicles, of which Scania has imported one unit each for trials, are presently undergoing homologation at ARAI.

The air-suspended 49 tonne 6×2 tractor with liftable tag axle, sharing the tipper’s 12.7 litre six-cylinder inline engine with 410 hp @ 1900rpm and 2,000 Nm of torque @ 1000–1350rpm, and possibly its P-series cabin as well, is intended for hauling chemical and petroleum tankers and heavy containers, segments that are vitally dependent on uptime and an extremely low cost of operation.

A 4×2 tractor targeted at automotive inbound and distribution logistics and cold chain transport, will feature a 360 hp rating of the same engine with 1750 Nm of torque. Even though this model would be stepping into a segment dominated by low-priced, low-powered domestic models, managing director Henrik Fagrenius is convinced there is a market even here for a premium truck that can offer higher average speeds and superior reliability.

At the higher end the range will be rounded off by two heavy-haulage 6×4 tractors, one with a 460 hp rating of the DC13 engine and 2250 Nm of torque for a max gross train weight of 100 tonnes, and a heavier 500 hp version for 150 tonnes powered by the older-generation 15.6 litre V8 engine developing 2400 Nm @ 1100–1350rpm.

In addition to being the first manufacturer to introduce a 49 tonne truck with a fuel-saving 6×2 wheelplan, Scania will also be the first with a bifurcated offering in the ODC segment.

The company has increased its previously announced investment of Rs 1.5 crore in its Regional Product Centre by a crore to include a bus body factory and a service facility. The first fully built two- and three-axle luxury coaches will roll out at the end of 2013, Fagrenius told Autocar Professional. Scania will not, as an official suggested in February this year, work with a bodybuilding partner. The first few coaches imported CBU will go into customer trials in three or four months.

Sales and service for the mining and construction segments will remain with L&T, Scania’s partner for the last five years. L&T will continue to stock fast-moving spares, but Scania’s own parts centre at Narasapura will help the company reduce the lead time for “accident parts”, Fagrenius said.

Moreover, the company will set up its own network of private service dealers to provide “world class service” for its on-highway trucks and buses, backing up its brand promise of industry-leading uptime. It is also working on a localisation plan that Fagrenius was loath to reveal details of. All he did share was that Scania Commercial Vehicles India would have a purchasing director in place “by next week”.

ELIOT LOBO