CHENNAI: Just four months after the joint-venture between Ashok Leyland and Nissan for the development of light commercial vehicles (LCV) broke down, the former on Wednesday launched its own range of LCVs called ‘Partner’, alongside the launch of the ‘Guru’, an intermediate CV.
According to the firm, the Partner has gone through a long development period, boasting an industry first in air-conditioning the driver cabin. The Partner is priced at `10.59 lakh and Guru at `14.35 lakh (ex-showroom Chennai).
The launches are important for the company in strengthening its own range of LCVs, both in the domestic and overseas market. “Ashok Leyland has upped the ante… An integral part of this performance is our winning product portfolio... and we believe this is the reason we are growing our market share across markets. Two indispensable products in this strategy are the ‘Guru’ and the ‘Partner’,” said Vinod K Dasari, managing director and chief executive officer.
While the earlier JV agreement with Nissan had restricted it from exporting LCVs, such restrictions no longer hold. Company officials stated that Partner will be exported and will take on Nissan’s Cab Star and Atlas in the international market.
The firm’s domestic portfolio will also see strengthening. “If you have to be a big player, then you must have multiple products. We will be launching a new product every quarter,” Ashok Leyland, President, LCV and Defence, Nitin Seth said. The domestic LCV segment has a market size of around 35,000 units, of which the company wants to capture a share of 20 per cent.
The Partner has a new ZD30 Common Rail diesel engine BSIV variant which is now made in Ashok Leyland (unlike the earlier engine manufactured at Nissan plant near Chennai).