Two new versions of Lancer launched

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 7. Hindustan Motors today launched two new versions of the Mitsubishi Lancer range of cars in order to obtain a larger slice of the highly competitive mid-size market. The launch, on the eve of Auto Expo 2000 in which the company is not participating, saw the culmination of a nine-month-long study among the target customers to gauge their future requirements.

The two versions - Lancer SLX and Lancer SFX - will complement the existing Lancer GLX which is available in two Euro II compliant options - 1500 cc petrol and 2000 cc diesel. Speaking to newsmen, the Hindustan Motors Chairman, Mr. C. K. Birla, said the company hoped to sell about 10,000 units of Lancer in the current financial year. He was confident about the company meeting the figure because riding on the recent boom in the automobile sector, production and sales had exceeded the 1,000 mark in September. The two new versions will be produced at its plant at Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu which already rolls out the GLX. While the GLX costs Rs. 7.56 lakhs in Delhi (ex-showroom), SLX will cost Rs. 8.28 lakhs and SFX Rs. 8.47 lakhs.

The Lancer SLX, according to Mr. Birla, is targeted at those who look for understated luxury while the SFX is targeted at those ``young at heart''.

Explaining the reason for not participating in the aggressively marketed Auto Expo 2000, a senior official said this was because ``we are not offering anything new.'' The company also felt that participation in the CII's bread and butter show would have been a costly proposition. ``We need to take every good opportunity to promote products but we also have to seek cost efficiency to provide value for money to our customers. Not participating in the Auto Expo was a mid-way solution to these suppositions,'' he said.

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