Pune-based Force Motors, maker of light commercial vehicles, marked its entry into the passenger vehicle segment on Friday with the ‘Force One’ Sports Utility Vehicle.
Priced at Rs 10.65 lakh (Delhi), the SUV is the first product from its new portfolio — which will later include more UVs and a multi-purpose van as well. The SUV will largely compete with the Mahindra Scorpio, and the Tata Safari.
The company, which is using a drivetrain technology sourced form Mercedes-Benz for the SUV, has also roped in Amitabh Bachchan as the brand ambassador for the Force One.
“The designers and engineers working on the ‘Force One’ had a tough brief to develop an SUV for the discerning Indian buyer. Technologically advanced, great road presence, excellent ride and handling, immense space creating comfort at a very competitive price are some of the features we have focused on,” said Mr Prasan Firodia Managing Director, Force Motors.
Force Motors expects to sell 4,000 units of the SUV in the first year in a market with a size of 70,000 units a year, largely because its dealership network is limited to a few cities. By September end, the automaker will have 22 outlets, expanding that to 50 by December.
The company plans to spend around Rs 1,000 crore in the next two years to develop passenger and commercial vehicle products.