The automobile market is on a downward curve yet new cars are being added to the range on offer. From Hatchbacks, to Sedans to MPVs and SUVs, the competition is getting tougher by the day. Adding a new twist to the MPV competition is Ashok Leyland with its new launch named Stile. The MPV was unveiled in the fitness of things by the Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni, a known lover of mean machines. However, Dhoni did not get much of a chance to go into the details of the new vehicle as he was mobbed by the media which did not even permit him to give a patient talk. “The events in Delhi are always very entertaining”, is all that he could say before he had to beat a hasty retreat.
Stile is developed by the Ashok Leyland-Nissan Motor Company Joint Venture. The MPV will roll out from Nissan’s manufacturing plant at Oragadam near Chennai. Stile is driven by a 1461 cc Turbo-Intercooled. Common Rail Diesel Engine which churns out 75 bhp has a maximum torque of 185Nm at1750 - 2750 rpm. It has a 5 speed manual gear box. The MPV shares the platform with Nissan’s Evalia and looks as much the same. With an overall length of 4400 mm it has a turning radius of 5.2 meter. It has the best-in-class fuel efficiency of 19.5 kmpl (ARAI certified) as claimed by the company. It has a seating capacity of 7-8 adults with 3 rows.
Speaking on the occasion V Sumantran, Vice-Chairman, Ashok Leyland said, “We are extremely delighted to launch this car which we believe, will change the dynamics of Indian MPVs. With Stile , our mission was clear — to deliver to the Indian customer, a contemporary MPV with lots of space, contemporary styling, comfort features and most of all, class - leading fuel efficiency. It is a brand new segment for us and I hope we have come up with a right product. This vehicle is going to cater to the needs of large families, fleet operators, hotel shuttles, ambulances and inter-city and intra-city travel. Sometimes you have to make your own luck and we are trying very hard to make sure that we make some of our luck.”
Nitin Seth, Executive Director, Ashok Leyland said, “This car is very famous in USA, Europe and Japan so we have brought this MPV to India and localised it. In India passenger movement is very important and is in much demand. So, we thought of making a product which should be cheap, economical, reliable and technologically superior. This is a festive offering for the customers — Japanese technology at Indian price.” On the resemblance with Evalia the company officials say that Evalia is in a different segment and we have tried not to touch that. To make a difference we have taken off some features like airbags, ABS and EBD but we are providing basic features like power steering and air conditioning. There will be three variants of Stile the LE, LS and LX priced at Rs.7.49 lakhs, 7.99 and 9.29 lakh respectively. The booking for the car has started. There will be no petrol version on offer. Stile comes with a 2 years or 50,000 kms warranty whichever is earlier. The car is available in five colours — sparkling white, silky silver, moon grey, passion red and imperial black.
