Ashok Leyland, after some rigorous initial planning, had finally launched its Multi Purpose Vehicle (MPV) Stile in the Indian automobile market on 7th October, 2013 within a price tag of Rs. 7.49 lakh and Rs. 9.29 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). This vehicle happens to be the result of a joint venture between Ashok Leyland and Nissan Motor Company. Also, this new model will see its production at Nissan’s manufacturing plant at Oragadam in Tamil Nadu.
Expressing his delight at the launch ceremony, the Vice-Chairman of Ashok Leyland, V. Sumantran was quoted as saying, “We are extremely delighted to launch the second product from the Ashok Leyland Nissan Joint Venture, 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. Stile is developed on a trusted and reliable vehicle platform that reflects our continued focus on offering Japanese technology and quality at Indian cost. With the Stile also in our portfolio, we are now better positioned to cater to a wider customer base and range of transportation needs.”
Earlier, Nissan had launched Evalia with a price tag ranging between Rs. 8.7 lakh and Rs. 10.24 lakh. This seven-seater MPV, however, after much hype, only managed to get cold response from customers and car enthusiasts. Taking this as a cue, Ashok Leyland has packed Stile with a number of sought after features like power steering, air conditioning and heating system, front power windows, second row A/C vents with independent controls, tilt adjustable steering and central locking. Customers can avail Stile in five different shades namely sparking white, silky grey, moon grey, passion red and imperial black. Also, this utility vehicle comes with either a 2 year or 50,000 km warranty, which seems quite decent by many industry experts.
The all-new Stile get its power from a 1.5-litre dCi common rail diesel engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, one that can delivers 74 bhp of power and 185 Nm of torque. As per company claims, this new utility vehicle scores high on fuel economy with a mileage of up to 19.5 kmpl. Earlier, Nitin Seth, Ashok Leyland's Executive Director of light commercial vehicles and defence businesses, while admitting that the much talked about van segment is yet to take off in the country, had said, “Stile is not a vehicle aimed at personal buyers; it is aimed at the value seeker fleet operator. In India, people want a balanced vehicle, with focus on functionality of fuel efficiency and cost of running than on the performance of the car, and Stile intends to deliver that.”
Ashok Leyland has put in a lot of effort to pep-up the styling quotient of Stile, a badge-engineered version of Nissan Evalia. The vehicle comes with a number of distinct features like new front grille, front bumper and stylish headlights along with sliding rear windows and new 15-inch alloy wheels. The vehicle is being offered to customers in seven variants with either a 7-seater configuration or an 8-seater option. As many experts believe, with the launch of Stile, the auto company is trying to focus on the commercial market space of the Indian market for MPVs. The auto company now also plans to offer a CNG variant in order to lure more customers in near future.
Currently, Ashok Leyland is gradually looking forward to establish its network in the eastern region. Thus, initially, Stile will get more focus on sales across 130 light commercial vehicle outlets in the northern, southern and western parts of the country. Seth also hinted the same thing when he said, “We are looking to enter East India by November this year. Between November and March, we plan to have 200 outlets across the country, which will also include expanding the network in smaller cities.”
