Ashok Leyland, the flagship firm of Hinduja Group, pulled off wraps from the limited edition of its Small Commercial Vehicle (SCV) 'Dost' in Chennai on September 11,2012. The company also celebrated the first anniversary of the successful SCV on the same day.
Reportedly, Ashok Leyland and its Joint Venture (JV) ally Nissan Motor Company entered the Indian SCV Segment (2.5 tonne) on the same day in 2011. The alliance forayed into the domestic turf with a range of Dost SCVs.
According to V Sumantran, Vice President (VP), Ashok Leyland, the limited edition of Dost SCV has been trimmed with many new attributes and Indian customers can purchase the vehicle at any of the company's 45 touch points spread across the country.
Speaking on the latest offering from the company's stable, Sumantran said, “We felt to introduce something special (to our customers) on this special occasion. And therefore, the first anniversary edition. Today is the birthday of DOST.”
The limited edition Dost SCV is available at Rs. 4.78 lacs (ex-showroom Chennai) till Diwali and costs Rs. 15,000 higher than the current model. The new variant features appealing body graphics, bull bars, fuel tank guards and a new colour gray beige, among other additions.
Reportedly, Ashok Leyland has recorded sales of 20,479 units of the Dost SCV since its launch. The vehicle is currently the champion of the segment in eight Indian states where it was introduced last year and boasts of a 31 per cent market share.
Nitin Seth, Executive Director, Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) and Defence, Ashok Leyland, pointed out that the company's distribution network is expected to reach 89 dealerships by the end of current financial year. Seth further affirmed that Ashok Leyland is expanding its production of the Dost SCV due to the burgeoning demand of the vehicle in Indian market. The Executive Director also revealed that the company initially manufactured 200 units of Dost SCV at its production unit in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
Reportedly, Ashok Leyland's Hosur plant is currently operating in two shifts and the total yield is expected to exceed 55,000 units by the next financial year. It has also been revealed that the average waiting duration for the delivery of Dost SCV is about two and a half months, at present. Further, the company is working towards increasing the market presence of Dost SCV to 11 states in the country, which is currently available only in 8 Indian states.
Speaking on the future launches of the Dost SCV, Seth said, “At the time of launch, we introduced it in six states. We added Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan in the last quarter. We are looking at (entering) Madhya Pradesh, National Capital Region and Uttar Pradesh down the year.”
