Pilote India, an enterprise of Mega Motoren and Lifestyle Private Limited, has come up with caravans for the largely unexplored Indian market in this line of product. This new class of vehicle is targeted towards those who travel quite a lot, work at far off places from home, or have to stay outdoors, or on location, like actors, builders, etc.
Fabricated on the chassis of a Fiat or Mercedes, these fanciful motor homes could be customised as per the buyer's needs. On offer are Explorateur (the only range that offers a Mercedes chassis), Reference and Aventura. Upholstery, bathroom design, bed size, lighting, storage, etc., are open to alteration.
Though a 3.0L engine has been used in all vehicles, a Mercedes chassis caravan would be a costlier choice over a Fiat one. Perhaps, fearing an Indian buyer might not be interested in paying a higher cost just for the chassis the company has introduced only seven configurations with Mercedes chassis, out of 50. The prices of all the models range from Rs.75 laksh to over 2 crores. “We haven't introduced the top two models in India yet as they are priced above Rs.2.25 cr. The idea was to provide a suitable range for the Indian market, but we hope to introduce them soon,” says Mudit Srivastava, CEO of Pilote India.
Domestically manufactured appliances are used in all the configurations. .However, since the company doesn't have a manufacturing unit in India, all the caravans would be imported from France. The buyer will have to pay custom tariffs in India, applicable on other vehicles as well.
As for after-sales service, Srivastava says, “We wanted to provide a one-stop solution to all the problems of a customer. All they have to do is bring their vehicle to the dealer, who will get it serviced at the work station. It's a compulsory condition that one could have dealership only after setting up a work station, which is at par with our international standards.” So far, the company has dealers in Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai.
