Ashok Leyland launches LCV in AP market

Chennai-based commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland Limited (ALL) today introduced its light commercial vehicle (LCV) offering 'ecomet' in the Andhra Pradesh market.

Ashok Leyland expects to carve out a 60 per cent market share in the segment in the state with its latest LCV offering.

Two models, namely '1109' with a 6.5-tonne pay load capacity priced at Rs 6.9 lakh and model '910' with a 5.5 tonne pay load capacity priced around Rs 6.5 lakh are being offered along with three colour schemes.

Speaking on the occasion, V M Hombali, the general manager, southern region, Ashok Leyland said that the company hoped to garner a 60 per cent market share in the Andhra Pradesh LCV market which would be on par with the market share that other models from the company enjoyed in the state.

Hombali said that Ashok Leyland hoped to record annual sales of close to 2,000 LCVs in the state and a 20 per cent nationwide market share in the light commercial vehicle segment.

"From the customer's point of view, ecomet is the most promising range in the LCV segment with the most fuel efficient 'Hino' engine along with competitive prices," he said.

Andhra Pradesh is the second largest market for Ashok Leyland in the country after Tamil Nadu.

The flagship company of Hinduja House which has recently entered LCV manufacturing activity, is expected to introduce its new range across the country by the first quarter of the next financial year.

Hombali said that with the economy booming, MDV (medium duty vehicles) sales had grown 41 per cent in the first 10 months of the current financial year with 35,000 units being sold. In the medium duty vehicles segment the company enjoys a 33 per cent market share nationally.

In the southern states sales had registered a 43 per cent growth in the current year with sales of 17,000 units. In Andhra Pradesh alone 4,900 vehicles were sold, registering a 40 per cent growth, Hombali said.

According to Rajiv Sanghvi, the executive director of the Automotive Manufacturers Private Limited, the dealers for Ashok Leyland in the state, 40 customers had already lined up for Ecomets. Automotive Manufacturers expects to sell around 200 ecomets by March-end.

About 100 light commercial vehicles have already been sold in the Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala markets after their introduction.

Mini-buses in this range have also been manufactured, which are yet to be made available in Andhra Pradesh. The ecomets are available with different body options and wheel bases.