Date:14/05/2004 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/05/14/stories/2004051402370200.htm

Back Tata Motors to sell Daewoo trucks

Our Bureau

Pune , May 13

WITH its acquisition of the Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company Ltd (DWCV), South Korea, Tata Motors is in the process of figuring out which of those high-tonne capacity vehicles could suit the Indian scenario.

In the city for the launch of the new 909 EX Turbo truck, Mr Shyam Mani, Vice-President, Sales and Marketing, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors, said the vehicles which ran on the Indian roads had an horse power of 210, while those from Korea began from 250 hp and went up to 450 hp. With this, the company would be able to offer customers a wider range of trucks in terms of horsepower.

The company is in talks with dealers across the country to understand the feasibility of bringing in the different models, as there are about 40 models to choose from. These products that are to be brought in would be decided in a `few months' time, he said.

DWCV's plant in Gunsan has an annual production capacity of 20,000 medium and heavy vehicles. It has a market share in excess of 25 per cent in the Korean heavy truck segment and has been profitable since its incorporation.

The company is also looking at what it can do for the lower and medium commercial vehicles that fall in the category of two to four tonne capacity. Though no concrete designs have been formed, it is in the pipeline, company sources said. Mr Mani, talking about the latest entrant into the EX category, said with the entry of the new 909 EX turbo truck, Tata Motors have bridged the gap that had been wanting for quite some time. He said the LPT 909 EX has the highest payload of six tonnes as compared to the other vehicles offered in this segment.

The competitors include Eicher and Swaraj which have trucks under the six-tonne category. It has a strengthened suspension and chassis and the highest gross vehicle weight in its class. The LPT 909 EX is available in 3400 mm and 3800 mm wheelbases.

He said about 51 keys had been delivered to customers in Pune on the first day of its launch. This would be followed at Nagpur and then in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh by June. The national launch is expected to be completed by September this year.

He added that the company which has a market share of about 35 per cent in the commercial vehicle segment, is targeting 60 per cent market share within a couple of years. He noted that about 15,000 commercial vehicles had been sold last year of which Eicher commanded 7,500 sales, Tata about 5,000 and Swaraj about 3,500.