Tata Motors launches heavy-duty BS6 range of trucks
Published On May 18, 2020
Making a strong bid towards the new emission norms transition, the market leader brings the BS6 range of heavy-duty rigid, tipper, and tractor-trailer trucks, Industry’s widest range with a varied range of engines and tonnage options.
Tata Motors has commercially launched its extensive medium and heavy commercial vehicle (MHCVs) range in the all-new BS6 powertrain. A few weeks ago, the firm launched a slew of small commercial vehicles. These new products are among the widest in the MHCVs spanning into numbers of tonnage, engine, and cabin options.
While the country is still under lockdown, businesses are slowly getting back on their feet. Tata Motors has announced the opening of its plants and retail outlets last week. The customers can reach out to any dealerships to check out the new trucks, and the sale process would take place, after almost two months of complete shut-down.
Extensive range
The transition to BS6 emission was intended to take off from the 1st of April, which got delay due to Covid-19. This unprecedented challenge of a pandemic pushed industry on a backfoot. The closer of plants, shutting down the retail network made matter worse for automakers. However, with limited resources initially, and now slowly getting access, OEMs have nearly introduced their BS6 range for commercial sale.
Tata Motors M&HCVs range comprises the critical haulage trucks, tippers and the top-end of the tonnage category the tractor-tailor. The new BS6 range is available in both Cowl and Signa cabin, along with several engine options to the customer's needs. Like the rest of the industry, the market leader has increased the engine sizes across its M&HCV range.
Taking into account the progress made by the Indian CV industry, which is complemented by the superior infrastructure now makes it pertinent for the customer to get higher power trucks to carry more cargo at a higher speed. Growing engine sizes is one of the positive impacts of the new emission norms on the CV industry, this also means the prices of products across the board will increase, yet, this change will bring more efficiency and productivity in the overall industry.
Haulage Trucks
Tata Motors is the single largest player in the multi-axle long-distance haulage trucks in India with over 60% market share. Tata Trucks are visible across the length and breadth of the country's highways, cities, and towns. This is attributed to its vast range of products across various tonnage categories. The haulage trucks essentially operate on the inter-states routes covering lakhs of kilometers of distance carrying essential industrial and bulk cargo.
This same segment is most impacted by the new axle load norms with an average 25% increase in gross vehicle weight to permit more cargo-carrying capacities to truck owners. OEMs have reworked their design and aggregates in this segment to graduate the trucks towards higher GVWs.
The firm has introduced is extensive BS6 haulage range of trucks with multiple engine options. While Tata Motors has continued with the tried and tested 180HP engine in the new emission, the company has now brought two new 210 HP and 250 HP engines which are higher power as compared to the BS4 trucks. Most of its rivals have adopted a similar strategy by introducing higher power BS6 engine trucks.
Tata Motors’ haulage range starts from the 19T GVW, Ultra 1918, and LPT 1918 models which comes with Ultra Cabin and chassis and in cowl options. This then expands into the 28T GVW with two variants fitted with two different engines. The 2818 and 2821- essentially 180HP and 210 HP engine in both the Cowl and Signa Cabin options.
The haulage range further goes up into 35T GVW, 42T GVW and 48T GVW. The 35T GVW truck is available in the 180HP and 210HP power engines. The 42T and 48T trucks get the higher power 250HP engine as these trucks largely carry higher cargo, and hence need only bigger engine options. Don’t forget 35, 42 and 48T trucks are available in both cowl and Signa cabin.
Tippers
Tipper has been one of strong product line-up in Tata Motors truck portfolio with products ranging from entry-level tipper to right at the premium category covering the entire gamut of tonnage points. The BS6 tipper range now has over 10 different variants starting from 19T GVW to all the way 42T GVW. Interestingly, the tippers get the Signa cabin across most of the variants, Tata Motors also has the Prima premium tippers in 28 and 35T GVW categories.
In the tipper range, Tata Motors has got a wide range of engine options starting from the 230HP to 250HP and the top-end the 300HP engines across different tonnage segments. This widest tipper offering is suitable for almost every application the customer would need. in construction or infrastructure activities.
The BS6 tippers on offers are Signa 1923.K, Signa 2823.K HD 9S, Signa 2823K/.TK, Prima 2825 K/TK, Prima 2830.K, Signa 3523.TK, Signa 3525.T/.TK, Prima 3525.K/.TK and Signa 4222.TK.
Tractor-Trailer
Tractor-trailer is another vital category in the haulage trucking which sits right at the top. This segment has been expanding over the last 5-7 years owing to improving infrastructure, the building of new highways as well as the emergence of the hub-and-spoke model post GST implementation. A lot of organized fleet-operators are opting for this colossal trucks to deploy on long-distance rated load applications.
Most of the Indian leading truck makers including Ashok Leyland, Eicher, BharatBenz have been offering compelling products in this segment, thus clearly heightening the competition. Tata Motors like the other key M&HCV cargo truck segments has a strong presence in the tractor-trailer category, and the firm is taking this forward into the BS6 era.
The all-new BS6 tractor-trailers introduced include the popular 40T GVW along with two new tonnage products, the 46T and 55T GVW trailers at the top end of the category. The 4018.S comes in both Signa cabin and Cowl options and get the established 180HP engine. The 4625.S and 5530.S two premium products get the powerful 250HP and 300 HP engines respectively.
With the launch of all-new BS6 haulage, tipper, and tractor-trailers by Tata Motors has clearly expanded the market on a large scale, this makes the transition to new emission norms quite a larger degree. Most of the OEMs have already completed the transition to new emission norms with the launch of new trucks.
Tata Motors certainly has few more products to come in the BS6 which are likely to follow sooner than later, as the company is the virtually only player with the most comprehensive truck range in the industry.
Over to the customer now. The new trucks are available at the retail outlets as the retail points are open for business across most parts of the country.
Also Read: Tata Motors restarts operations at selected plants and dealerships