Daimler India introduces upgraded BS-IV trucks without Price Increase
Published On Apr 11, 2017
Chennai based Daimler India Commercial Vehicles has launched the upgraded BS-IV trucks in the market. Interestingly, the upgraded vehicles have been introduced without any price hike which is something that would baffle the rivals.
CEO and Managing Director, Daimler India, Erich Nesselhauf said that company isn’t looking for any price advantage and might get some return next year. It is a courageous decision especially at a time when most of the manufacturers are looking for price hike of BS-IV trucks, Daimler is holding the price line of its range of models.
He also emphasized that from now on vehicles sales will depend on technology and BharatBenz will lead the transition of the BS-IV vehicles in the Indian market. This could be a dexterous move from the company as earlier DICV trucks were priced a little higher over the competition. But now, when BS-IV has become the standard for the all makers, trucks coming from other manufacturers are expected to attract a price hike of 7-10 percent. And this has actually happened. Just recently, Ashok Leyland has revised their prices of BS-IV commercial vehicles with a 10 percent increase across the range.
Erich Nesselhauf also said that company might apply similar strategy for its range of buses. He stated that company is even ready for BS-VI emission standard which will go official from 2020 onwards. He strongly supported Supreme Court ban on BS-III vehicles saying that it’s a wise decision and the stockpile of 97,000 vehicles in the industry is not an accidental phenomena but intentional. DCIV has an inventory of around 200 units that will be recalled very soon.
Speaking on the new BS-IV trucks, Nesselhauf said the upgraded vehicles are better in terms of technology, payload capacity and fuel efficiency that comes with the tagline ‘Profit Technology’. BharatBenz, the subsidiary of Daimler India has a range of products in three different categories viz. Construction Trucks, Haulage Trucks and Tractors. Company has sold over 1,000 BS-IV compliant trucks and is currently the top seller in BS-IV category.
Talking further about the technology in the new trucks, they are using AdBlue fluid based on aqueous urea. The fluid is sprayed into the exhaust system in order to break down harmful nitrogen oxides emissions into harmless nitrogen and water. The AdBlue fluid consumes very little fuel, hence refill intervals are less frequent. The fluid is available across BharatBenz dealerships.
Apart from reducing carbon footprints, the upgraded trucks are good on fuel efficiency with various improvements in aerodynamics, auxiliaries and friction reductions. The kerb weight has also been reduced and the company promises that the maintenance will be cheaper. The trucks comes with features such as LED accented lamp, air conditioner, cruise control and reverse camera.
Daimler India Commercial Vehicles is also planning to launch sub-9 tonne trucks in the next two to three months.
