2012 Auto Expo - BharatBenz unveils their new truck
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) unveiled their new BharatBenz truck at the Auto Expo 2012. Currently the Indian market is ranked third as far as markets for trucks world-wide and keeping this in mind BharatBenz plans to unveil its entire truck range here by March 2012.
BharatBenz heavy duty trucks are built on Mercedes-Benz Axor platform while the light and medium trucks are built on Fighter and Fuso Canter platform. Before being put on the Indian roads, these trucks have been made to pass through four million kilometres of testing on DICV's test track and strenuous driving conditions. The light, medium and heavy duty range of commercial vehicles by BharatBenz will be manufactured at its new plant at Oragadam, near Chennai. DICV has a total dedicated investment of over Rs 4,400 crore. The initial production capacity of the plant is 36 units per year, which can be ramped up to a technical capacity of 70 units per year. The facility in Oragadam also houses a state-of-the-art test track.
BharatBenz is building up its extensive dealership network across India to have about 70 locations till the end of this year, planning to further extend its activities all over India. They have also entered into tie-ups with leading banks such as ICICI and HDFC for special finance schemes for BharatBenz customers.
Speaking at the preview in Delhi, Marc Llistosella, managing director and CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said, "BharatBenz mirrors our long term commitment to India, a commitment to offer modern trucks that will redefine the Indian trucking experience. With this preview, we have broken the mould by building a completely new truck for India. Our trucks target the modern domestic segment in India, which is showing high growth potential. We are confident that the introduction of modern trucks with improved fuel efficiency, safety features and competitive pricing will make us the game changer in the Indian trucking industry."