Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (DICV), the 100 per cent Indian subsidiary of the world’s No.1 truck manufacturer Daimler AG, has unveiled three light-duty trucks under the BharatBenz brand, to add to the three heavy-duty trucks launched in September last year. The trucks were launched at DICV’s manufacturing facility in Oragadam near Chennai in the presence of media representatives along with the financiers and dealers of BharatBenz. In addition to the launch event, over 1,200 customers from different parts of the country were invited to experience the trucks and take a tour of the facility.
The three light-duty BharatBenz trucks – 914 & 1214 for the haulage segment and 1217 for the construction segment – will now be commercially available through the 33 state-of-the-art BharatBenz dealerships across the country. Apart from the cab-chassis version, the company offers different applications such as container, reefer and RMC mixer on its light- and medium-duty range, all of which were on display during the launch.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Albert Kirchmann, President – Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation (MFTBC) and Vice-Chairman, DICV, said: “I am extremely happy with the excitement Daimler India is creating with BharatBenz in Indian Trucking. In fact, the entire Daimler Truck world is watching this new brand with interest. A new market, new brand, new products and a great team. India is not just one more market for Daimler. Today, along with China, it is one of the most promising markets. Daimler Trucks has everything needed to take these markets to newer levels in trucking”.
Since the launch of BharatBenz, a new dedicated brand of trucks in India, DICV has gone through an intense process of selection of the right platforms and developed a whole new supplier network to supply high quality and reliable parts. BharatBenz trucks have over 85 per cent local content, sourced from over 400 suppliers in the country. The light-duty trucks are based on the FUSO Fighter for the chassis and FUSO Canter for the cab, well-established Daimler Trucks technical platforms.
However, the focus on rigorous testing, a key Daimler advantage with its world-wide experience, has seen these trucks cover more than 7.5 million test km along with other platforms. The confidence derived from such testing is the backbone of the BharatBenz promise of best-in-class trucks.
“It is an obligation for us and our Brand BharatBenz, to ensure the customers will be as happy with these trucks as with our heavy-duty trucks. Our focus was to create a truck with superior performance, efficiency and the best quality but at a very competitive price. To achieve this, we involved our German and Japanese Engineers for their technology experience and Indian engineers for their local expertise and ability to create cost-conscious solutions”, said Mr. Georg Weiberg, Head – Product Engineering, Daimler Trucks, Germany.
Mr. Marc Llistosella, Managing Director and CEO, DICV, observed: “In September 2012, we delivered our first promise through our heavy-duty trucks. We are extremely encouraged by the highly positive feedback and through repeat orders. Today is another important milestone for DICV and BharatBenz. Our light-duty trucks will add a new dimension to reliable trucking by being very fuel efficient along with superior driving dynamics.”
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is the keyword when it comes to BharatBenz trucks, which boast of fuel efficiency that is minimum 10 per cent better in comparison to existing products in the market. The superior fuel efficiency of the trucks has been acknowledged by customers, many of them who are leading fleet operators in the country. With rising fuel prices, the proven fuel efficiency of BharatBenz trucks is certain to remain a major advantage in the market.
The light-duty trucks, based on the FUSO Fighter/Canter platform, have been localised to suit the specific needs of Indian customers, featuring the 4D34i four-cylinder CRDi (Common-rail Direct Injection) engine with 140 hp (100 Kw) & 170 hp (125 Kw), for the Rigid & Tipper models, respectively. The focus of these trucks is on high fuel efficiency, cabin comfort and very importantly cabin safety. The cabin has been designed with driver comfort and safety in mind, almost at par with an entry-level passenger vehicle cabin.
Despite sluggish market conditions, BharatBenz has sold over 1000 heavy-duty trucks which have received excellent response in the market, especially in the construction segment. Around 85 to 90 per cent of the trucks were sold as fully-built vehicles which is a clear indication of growing market maturity. “The Indian market will outperform the TRAID, European, Japanese and US markets in the years to come. It will be one of the most important markets along with China”, added Dr. Kirchmann.
Mr. V.R.V. Sriprasad, Vice President – Marketing (Sales & After Sales), said: “Like for our HDT range, we have been meticulously tracking the requirements of the market for the light- and medium-duty range as well. We have consciously increased the horse power in our trucks because we believe that with roads getting better and different applications like reefers coming up, higher power would be needed. At the same time, customers will benefit from better acceleration and pulling power without compromising on fuel efficiency. On the whole, if a customer wants to buy a truck, he should prefer BharatBenz. We want to redefine the trucking experience in the country.”
By the end of 2013, BharatBenz will have 12 trucks in its portfolio available at over 80 dealerships across India. LOIs have already been issued for setting up these facilities in over 100 locations in the country, covering the most prominent trucking routes and hubs. The dealer network will offer complete sales consulting, 24X7 after-sales service with advanced interactive vehicle diagnostics, roadside assistance for best service reach, leading to the lowest turnaround time in our workshops. These dealerships also provide tailor-made financial services/service packages – ensuring comprehensive attention to our customers – all under one roof.
On the financial front, BharatBenz Insurance, India’s first branded commercial vehicle insurance, offers cashless facility, including zero depreciation, and a host of other value-adds. This integrated approach offers customers the combined benefit of products and financial services under one roof, making ownership a hassle-free experience. BharatBenz has also tied-up with leading financial companies including ICICI, HDFC, Sundaram Finance, Shriram Transport Finance, and Axis Bank that offer customized financing solutions for customers.
With six trucks on offer at present, three of them already storming the heavy-duty market, it would be interesting to see not only the market demand this year but also the performance of the BharatBenz range of trucks, as DICV prepares for the long haul in India.
Over 1,000 heavy-duty trucks sold in just three months
Since the launch of three models of its heavy-duty range – the 25-tonne Rigid, 25-tonne Construction and the 31-tonne Construction – on September 26, 2
012, in Mumbai, BharatBenz has sold a total of 1,098 of vehicles.
Mr. Marc Llistosella, Managing Director & CEO, said: “2012 was very eventful. We showcased our trucks, completed our plant, began production of our trucks and finally launched our heavy-duty trucks in September. Even through tough market conditions during and after our launch, BharatBenz has achieved this milestone. This is a validation of our promise with our products & services”.
Mr. V.R.V. Sriprasad, Vice-President, Marketing, Sales & After-sales, said: “A clear substantiation of the success lies in the repeated interest expressed by our customers who have purchased BharatBenz trucks. We are confident that the market in 2013 will resurge and, with newer additions to our product range, BharatBenz will create substantial impact”.
In the past few months, the truck market has been witnessing a downtrend in demand owing to various factors. While market forces have been reacting to the situation, BharatBenz continued to focus on providing value to the customers. Crossing the sale of a 1,000 heavy-duty trucks in the category above 25 tonnes in such a short span of time is indeed a highly positive achievement.
This achievement is due to the all-round focus of BharatBenz on the customer. While creating products that provide superior value through greater quality, reliability, efficiency and performance, it has also set about creating appropriate service support infrastructure in major locations. As of end 2012, outlets have been opened in 30 locations, and the network is set to expand to an additional 79 locations through 2013.
Financing has been another major focus area for BharatBenz. Backed by the financial power and expertise of its financial arm, Daimler Financial Services, customers benefit from the captive financier under the name of BharatBenz Financial.
BharatBenz Insurance, India’s first branded commercial vehicle insurance, offers cashless facility, including zero depreciation and a host of other value-adds.