Stepping up its offensive in the intermediate commercial vehicles (ICV) segment, Hinduja flagship Ashok Leyland (ALL) on Thursday launched two models of its Boss trucks, in the BS-VI category. Boss has been one of the leading brands from the Ashok Leyland stable in the ICV segment, and the two new vehicles will address the 11.1 tonne to 14.05 tonne GVW (gross vehicle weight) market. The Boss vehicles are targeted at a slew of segments, including parcel and courier, poultry, white goods, agri-perishable, e-commerce, FMCG, auto parts and reefer. ALL is offering two cabin options in the new additions and expects multiple improvements over the BS-IV technology, with up to 7% higher fluid efficiency, up to 5% better tyre life, up to 30% longer service interval and up to 5% lower maintenance cost. Prices of Boss LE and LX, the new models, start from Rs 18 lakh, ex-showroom Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai.
Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, “We have been on track with our plans, despite the challenging year we are all facing. With this launch in our Boss range, our ICV offering is now one of the best in the market. ICVs are seeing a spurt in demand and this is the best time to introduce our proven I-Gen6 BS-VI technology in one of our best-selling brands in the portfolio. These launches will further strengthen our portfolio and help us achieve our vision of being in the global top 10 CV makers.”
ALL has a 20% market share in the ICV segment. The company believes that along with light commercial vehicles (LCV), the ICV segment is also recovering from the Covid-19 impact due to demand from construction, mining, and e-commerce sectors. Anuj Kathuria, COO, Ashok Leyland, said, “We have been steadily gaining market share in the ICV segment for the past eight years and our brand, Boss, has been leading that growth. From 6% market share in FY12, we are now selling over 20% ICVs in the Indian market. With the new Boss LE and LX, we have further improved on our USPs of higher fuel economy and durability, making it a compelling choice for ICV customers.”
In September, ALL had rolled out a new LCV platform code-named Phoenix developed at cost of Rs 350 crore, and announced two variants for domestic and exports markets. ALL had an addressable market of 34% in the LCV segment and by expanding its portfolio, it plans to take it further to 65% over a period of two years in the 5 lakh per annum LCV market. It is looking at tapping the exports market in a big way. ALL had reported a net loss of Rs 389 crore for the first quarter of FY21, compared with a net profit of Rs 230 crore in the corresponding quarter last fiscal. It had registered revenue of Rs 651 crore as against Rs 5,684 crore.
