Ashok Leyland’s Boss ICV turns a year old

Ashok Leyland’s intermediate commercial vehicle (ICV), the Boss, has completed a year since its commercial launch at its Uttarakhand plant.

First launched in South India, a traditionally strong market for the company, the ICV is now available across the country. While the CV sector continues to be sluggish, there has been an uptick of sorts in the last couple of months and this may bode well for the vehicle’s sales in the months to come.

Offered as fully built solutions, the Boss is preferred for the transportation of agricultural products, commodities and market loads. Among European-designed cabs and indigenous driveline, the Boss promises good quality at relatively affordable cost. The Boss is being manufactured at Pantnagar and is available in LE and LX variants with three models in each variant with 9.6, 11.9 and 12.9 T GVW.

In the central part of the country, the Boss has been available since July. A Nagpur-based dealer told Autocar Professional that though the Boss started with good numbers, sales have yet to pick up. He stated that as the vehicle population grows, it will attract new customers.

Feedback suggests that operators and especially drivers seem to like the vehicle largely because of its spacious cab and comfortable drive. In the National Capital Region (NCR), sales of the Boss started six months ago. Yet, as of now customers still prefer the tried-and-tested Ecomet range mostly due to good fuel economy and ability to overload if need be. A dealer emphatically said that fuel economy is the most common concern for truck owners rather than the features.