Ashok Leyland and Nissan Unveil Their First LCV for India

The Hinduja Group flagship, Ashok Leyland and Nissan Motor Company today unveiled their first Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) - the Ashok Leyland DOST. The product will be launched to the market, as indicated earlier, in the second quarter of FY 2011-2012. The ‘Ashok Leyland DOST' will be produced in Ashok Leyland's Hosur manufacturing plant.

Powered by a specially-developed, 55 hp high-torque, 3-cylinder, turbo-charged Common Rail Diesel engine, the vehicle has a payload capacity of 1.25 Tonnes. Reflecting the growing expectations of the Indian LCV customer, the Ashok Leyland DOST will be available in 3 versions: a base version with manual steering, a mid version with power steering and a higher version which will have dual tone interiors, power steering and AC. The vehicle will be available in both BSIII and BSIV versions.

Mirroring the evolution of the entire Indian car and light truck market, the Small Commercial Vehicle segment (vehicles less than 3.5 Tonnes) has been witnessing a perceptible upward shift in terms of features, performance and payload and the Ashok Leyland DOST has been positioned as a contemporary, powerful yet highly efficient product. With the hub-and-spoke model fast gaining ground, it is well-placed to ride the robust demand for vehicles making last-mile deliveries. The Ashok Leyland DOST will be available through a newly developed LCV exclusive network to give customers a new level of experience.

"The Indian market is rapidly evolving and customer expectations are growing. We believe that the LCV segment is ready for a substantial upgradation of products that yet offer low cost of ownership. The Ashok Leyland DOST, with its carefully calibrated design and features, attempts to offer a new level of experience to the Indian customer," said Dr. V. Sumantran, Executive Vice Chairman, Hinduja Automotive Ltd. and Chairman, Nissan Ashok Leyland Powertrain Ltd. "Its design reflects the philosophy of both partners: blending the long traditions of quality and comfort of Nissan with the proven record of rugged reliability and fuel efficiency of Ashok Leyland," he elaborated.

Dr. Andy Palmer, Senior Vice-President, Nissan Motor Company and Chairman, Ashok Leyland Nissan Vehicles Ltd., said, "The product blends the best in terms of Japanese engineering from Nissan, with local relevance that Ashok Leyland brings to the table. It represents a very attractive value proposition to the small and medium businesses that it is targeted at and we are confident that it will find wide acceptance when launched."

About the Hinduja Group
Hinduja Group is an investment and banking group with a diversified global portfolio of holdings across the manufacturing services and banking sectors. The Group, founded by Shri P.D. Hinduja in 1914 has activities across three core areas: Investment Banking, International Trading and Global Investments. It also supports charitable and philanthropic activities across the world through the Hinduja Foundation. As part of its Global investments, the Group owns businesses in Automotive, Information Technology, Media, Entertainment & Communications, Banking & Finance, Infrastructure Project Development, Chemicals & Agri business, Energy, Real Estate, Trading and Healthcare. http://www.hindujagroup.com/.

About Ashok Leyland
Ashok Leyland is the flagship of the Hinduja Group and a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles in India with 09-10 turnover of US $ 1.61 billion. With seven manufacturing locations at Chennai, Hosur (three plants), Alwar, Bhandara and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand), the Company has a production capacity of 150,000 vehicles. Ashok Leyland has associate companies in the Czech Republic and the UAE and a joint venture in Sri Lanka, besides exports to over 30 countries worldwide. http://www.ashokleyland.com/

About Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., the second largest Japanese automotive company by volume, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan and is an integral pillar of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 150,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with more than 4 million units in 2010. With a strong commitment to developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of fuel-efficient and low-emissions vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands.

A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, all-electric vehicle and winner of various international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year award.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to Sustainable Mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

For further information please contact:

Vinod Chacko
Corporate Communications, Ashok Leyland
Mobile: +91 9841416233

Sumitha Krishnamoorthy
Public Relations, Nissan Motor India
Mobile: +91 99625 79552

Devdatta Mulchandani
Clea PR
Mobile: +91 90030 16909