Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. (PVPL) has launched the new Porter 700, reaffirming the company’s commitment to customer’s changing needs and Piaggio’s core philosophy of providing path-breaking solutions in the last-mile transportation segment. The best part of the 1,475 kg (GVW) vehicle is Piaggio’s especially-developed 14.75 hp single cylinder engine. The 652CC BSIV-compliant engine allows for a peak torque of 40 Nm@1600-1800 rpm.
With payload of 700 kg and offering mileage of 26 kmpl, the Porter 700 also has an impressive 21 per cent gradeability. The last capability allows for an easy navigation over city flyovers.
Explaining the company’s new initiative, Mr. Ravi Chopra, Chairman of PVPL, said: “Piaggio would continue to provide technological solutions in the last-mile transportation market and would focus on further strengthening and dominating this category. The 3-wheelers and 4-wheelers will continue to co-exist. The sub-one-tonne category is expected to grow at 7-10 per cent CAGR and further growth will be achieved when companies push for it.”
Standout features
For some time now, Piaggio has been striving to launch a competent product in the 4-wheel cargo category. Piaggio’s legacy of extensive research and commitment for cutting edge innovation is visible in the new product. The vehicle boasts of a 30.00 sq.ft. cargo deck size and 218 mm ground clearance which makes carrying 700 kg payload and plying on any terrain easier. It also has the smallest turning radius of 3.7 metres, which means no lane is too narrow.
Featuring a 15 litre fuel tank, the Piaggio Porter 700 helps the customer travel the extra mile. The vehicle also boasts of an industry-first floor-mounted synchromesh 5-speed gear boxes. The unique snorkel system is expected to increase the life of the engine and lower the maintenance cost.
In any case, Piaggio offers a 2-year or 75,000-km extended warranty, with four free services thrown in. The company plans to implement these offers though its network of 1,000 sales and service touch-points. In the words of Mr. Hardip Singh Goindi, Executive Vice President, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, PVPL: “Porter 700 will outclass others in the 4-wheeler sub 1-ton cargo segment and will help it consolidate its position in the last mile transportation industry and will be described as ‘Dumdaar Shaandaar’ with competitive price of approximately Rs. 3,40,000.”
Pioneering role
The launch of Porter 700 also coincided with the appointment of Mr. Diego Graffi, as the CEO & MD of PVPL. He said: “I know India and the Indian market since I first joined Piaggio in 2006. During my various roles as global sourcing heads, I have always gauged the customer feedbacks and will continue to do so in a market like India. I already feel that we have an up-to-date portfolio in all vehicle categories and is one of the complete portfolios in the country. Anticipating our new age customer’s needs, Porter 700 has been conceived as a modern, stylish vehicle with many new features and yet will deliver its core values of exceptional reliability and fuel efficiency.”
PVPL, a 100 per cent subsidiary of the Piaggio Group, commenced operations in India in 1999 with the launch of the 3-wheeler brand Ape’ which was an immediate success and has grown from strength to strength over the years. PVPL created the market, grew it, and has sustained a dominant and leadership position in the diesel 3-wheeler segment.
Piaggio is a leading player in the light transportation industry with a complete range of 3- and 4-wheelers in diesel, petrol, CNG, LPG fuel variants. The company’s products are not only endorsed by over 2 million satisfied customers across India but also exported to more than 35 countries worldwide.
Piaggio has a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Baramati in Maharashtra, with an installed annual production capacity of over 300,000 three-wheelers and 80,000 four-wheelers. It is also moving towards self-reliance with the completion of its advanced engines plant on the same campus. Piaggio has over 2,500-strong workforce comprising experienced engineers, R&D specialists, plant workers, and sales, service and marketing professionals.
Interview with Mr. Hardip Singh Goindi, Executive Vice President, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, PVPL
How is the Porter 700 better than other products available in the same category?
Porter 700 is up-to-date in all aspects. Be it engine performance, mileage, gradeability, payload, technical features, it is as near as it could be to the customer’s needs.
Given the saturated market, what sort of targets and strategies Piaggio has adopted to improve its market share?
We believe in giving the total cost of ownership to the customers. We are and want to remain a significant player in the sub-1 tonne segment and are looking at achieving 20-25 per cent of marketshare in the last-mile connectivity segment of the industry. The vehicle is positioned on the tag line ‘Dumdaar Shaandaar’ which means it has got super performance and super style. It gives a pride of ownership to the customer. We also believe it is not a saturated market, and there is a huge untapped market available and we strongly believe that our lineage of last-mile connectivity will be beneficial to the customers.
Mr. Goindi, please elaborate on the driver programme that the company has initiated.
We have been in the last mile for around 18 years. We will speak to the potential customer as well as the existing 3-wheeler customer looking to upgrade or add vehicles to their pool. Our rich knowhow related to last-mile delivery can be imparted to expand their business. The existing three-wheeler customer can be guided to add a four-wheeler, for bigger and additional need. We will have programmes for drivers, how they can drive the vehicle and maintain it on ‘do it yourself’ basis and motivate them to expand their business operations. We have about 350 dealers and a 1,000 touch-points, which is going to help us achieve in scaling the product.