Ashok Leyland’s recently launched intermediate commercial vehicle Boss will complement its present offering the Ecomet and expand its market share in the South and West, according to Vinod K. Dasari, Managing Director.
Unveiling the truck, meant to haul nine-tonne to 13-tonne loads, in Chennai, Dasari said the company has an 11 per cent market share in the ICV segment. This is lower than the 30 per cent share it commands in the medium and heavy commercial vehicles – trucks with a capacity to haul more than 16 tonnes.
The Ecomet over the last five years has helped the company double its market share in the segment. The domestic market for the LCV is estimated to have doubled to about 57,000 vehicles a year.
The Boss, priced between Rs 9.5 lakh and Rs 12 lakh, overlaps with Ecomet in terms of pricing. The Ecomet fell short ‘in some features’ compared with the competition. But it has a wider range of models and has a strong market share in the North going up to even 90 per cent in the hilly tracts.
The Boss will fill the gap in the South and West where it is being rolled out in stages. Initial indications based on sales in Madurai, in south Tamil Nadu, where it was first unveiled last month, show that it has helped the company double its sales in this segment.
The Boss is an adaptation of the European Avia with an updated chassis and a cabin that offers the driver the comfort of a car. It comes in two variants, one powered by a 120 HP H-Series engine and six-speed gearbox and the other by a 130-HP common rail engine, automated manual transmission and factory-fitted air conditioning.