This engine will be carried over on to the passenger application to pit it against the Tata Venture and Mahindra Maxximo minivan. After the soft top is on the market, we would like to see HM execute a steel bodied van with leather seats, entertainment system and air conditioning.

[Spyshot source - IndianCarsBikes.in]

The good old Ambys are now being replaced by SX4, Accent and Superb. They are modern, offer better comfort and come with more prestige. They are sophisticated and make a statement. HM is being deserted, but it plans to make a comeback with two new products.

IndianAutosBlog.com has just learned that HM is planning to introduce the sub-4 meter variant in the next 6 months.

The comfortable and spacious interiors, retro looks paired with a common-rail diesel engine will bring the Amby on par with some of its advanced classmates. A Pune based design studio is tasked with inserting a sense of style into the Ambassador’s primitive layouts.

The second product is a refreshed Ambassador expected with modern features like ABS, EBD, reworked readouts, new steering wheel and leather seats. This is the 21st century Amby trying to do a Mini or 500.

Both these new vehicles are expected to sport a 1.8 liter petrol as well as a 1.5 liter diesel engine in BS4 spec.

In today’s world of Volkswagen’s, Nissan’s and Hyundai’s, will Indian consumer will go back and trust HM?

IAB readers will not be shocked by this development. We were indeed the first automotive blog to discuss the Amby pickup comeback along with a SRK rendering.

Talking about the vehicle, the 800kg payload pickup is available in BS3 (diesel) and BS4 (CNG fuel) versions. The vehicle can also be ordered as a drive-away chassis (DAC).

The diesel model is priced at 3.30 lakh rupees in Kolkata.

The VEER is a spiritual revival of the HM Porter pickup that was sold in the 80′s. It will compete with the likes of the Tata Ace, Mahindra Maxximo and Ashok Leyland Dost.

We wish HM good luck with the Veer and the other immediate launches.

Hindustan Motors launches VEER

A small commercial vehicle with comfort of car

Diesel version’s inaugural offer price Rs. 3.30 lakh

Launch to begin from East India

KOLKATA, August 8, 2011: India’s pioneering car company Hindustan Motors Ltd. (HM) launched VEER, a 0.8-tonne (800 kg) small commercial vehicle (SCV) here today, kick-starting the company’s plans to introduce more vehicles in the current financial year.

Notably, the company’s Chairman, Mr. C K Birla, had announced the imminent launch of a slew of new vehicles at HM’s annual general meeting held here on August 4.

“We have honoured our commitment by launching VEER. More new vehicles will follow suit. These will come both from our Uttarpara plant in West Bengal, where we manufacture the iconic Ambassador and other vehicles, and our Chennai facility where we build the Mitsubishi range of vehicles. Our bouquet of offerings is set to expand at a fast pace due to our reinforced emphasis on new product development,” stated Mr. Manoj Jha, HM’s Managing Director, after unveiling the new vehicle.

The robust VEER is built on the tried and tested Ambassador platform, incorporating changes in transmission and suspension systems required for a sturdy load carrier. The vehicle is available in both diesel (BS III) and CNG (BS IV) versions and in two models – VEER and VEER LX. While VEER has a separate load tray, VEER LX’s load tray is seamlessly integrated with the front cabin.

The uniqueness of VEER lies in the fact that it also offers the comfort of a car. In fact, the three-seat bench provided in the front cabin offers distinctly superior comfort level compared to other vehicles in this segment. In view of its Ambassador lineage, VEER will obviously enjoy the traditional benefits of low cost maintenance and easy availability of spare parts. The vehicle is also available as a drive-away chassis (DAC) with front cabin.

Hindustan Motors is launching VEER initially in East India with plans to go pan-India over the current financial year.

Initially available in marshall cream and stack brown colours, Veer diesel’s inaugural price for the month of August 2011 is pegged at Rs. 3.30 lakh ex-showroom Kolkata.

Now another manufacturer is trying some below-the-line marketing activities to increase its brand awareness.

Hindustan Motors has sent an Ambassador and an LCV called Winner for road shows that shall cover West Bengal, Assam, Orissa and Bihar, signaling the imminent launch of new vehicles. The whole idea is to increase customer awareness about Hindustan Motors’ existing and forthcoming products.

The road show anchors and Hindustan Motors managers will make use of quizzes, lucky dips and interesting games to interact with the customers and tell them about HM’s prospective products.

Similar road shows will be launched soon in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, central and north India. Hindustan Motors is on the verge of launching two products – a pickup on the Amby platform and a sub-4 meter Amby.

HM road shows the first step towards early launch of new commercial vehicles

KOLKATA, July 15, 2011: The multi-billion-dollar CK Birla Group automobile major Hindustan Motors Ltd. today launched road shows that shall cover West Bengal, Assam, Orissa and Bihar, signaling the imminent launch of new vehicles. More road shows will be launched soon in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, central and north India.

The road shows launched today from the country’s oldest car company’s Uttarpara plant in Hooghly will be showcasing different variants of the iconic Ambassador and HM’s relatively new product HM Winner 1.5 XD PLUS, a light commercial diesel vehicle, in the four eastern and north-eastern states during the next 15 days. The initiative is also aimed at increasing customer awareness about Hindustan Motors’ existing and forthcoming products.

The company’s Managing Director, Mr. Manoj Jha, stated, “Hindustan Motors has opted for a multi-pronged strategy which will witness consolidation and expansion of existing products like Ambassador and Winner and almost simultaneous introduction of new vehicles in the current quarter. We intend to grow our bouquet of offerings. The focus on auto components is being sharpened further. The vehicle armouring unit is being rejuvenated. Research and design has been imparted a new fillip. We need to deal both with the present and the future.”

Lively road shows have been planned to target prospective buyers and general public. Show anchors and Hindustan Motors managers will make use of quizzes, lucky dips and interesting games to provide useful and also some hitherto unknown pieces of information about the company and its vehicles.

The East-North East road shows will cover different locations in Durgapur, Asansol and Siliguri in West Bengal, and Guwahati in Assam. Locations in and around Bhubaneswar, Puri, Sambalpur and Bargarh will be covered in Orissa. Bihar shall witness HM road shows in Patna, Hazipur and nearby areas.

From the looks of things, this is a single cab pick up truck with an average size loading bed. The interiors are bare bone utilitarian – simple and basic. The engine options are anyone guess right now – could be a diesel, could be CNG.

HM is has set its heart in diversifying the Ambassador brand name. First, the CS version then the Pick Up version. Of course, the current Ambassador is all set to get a complete revamp in 2012.

What’s next a hot rod version of the Amby?

Source – Team-Bhp.com

IAB reported last month about this development and the spotting confirms its close proximity to a market introduction. What we didn’t know back then was the existence of the 1980s Hindustan Porter.

The Porter was a diesel pickup truck on the Amby platform that ran for a few years. Due to its lackluster performance, HM pulled it out of the market. We expect HM to keep the design, even if it only a mild cosmetic affair, modern and in line with today’s pickups. Going retro with a pickup truck will not result in sales boosts.

Source – TheAutomotiveIndia.com

Hindustan Motors will make several variants on the Amby platform including a sub-4 meter vehicle and revamped version of the existing product. There might not be groundbreaking changes under the hood as the existing 1.5-liter diesel engine producing 35bhp is capable of handling the job. There will be no fancy body graphics or silky-smooth finish as this product is meant for the commercial vehicles sector. Components from the existing Amby will be used, in some cases modified to suit the heavy-duty application. Tata Motors, Mahindra and Force Motors have implemented small pickups with their passenger vehicle platforms and that’s where the inspiration came from for HM.

Interestingly, the new Amby will not merely be a cosmetic overhaul. There will be improvements made to its mechanicals, the report points out. The operation began last December and an universe of feedback from the Amby revival Facebook page would have come in handy.

All-new Amby could look stunning

The Amby’s nose will shed its straight lines for an aerodynamic bonnet. The round, 50′s-looking headlamps will be gotten rid of and in its place, wrap-around headlamps resembling the Suzuki Swift will be fitted.

The Amby’s engine will undergo changes and an anti-lock brake system with aluminium alloy wheels will also feature. Leather seats and upgraded interiors will make the Amby’s interiors more livable.

Sub 4-meter Amby another strong possibility for 2011

Besides this all-new Ambassador, there could also be a sub 4-meter variant according to media reports from last year.

More details are expected to trickle in during the following months, so stay tuned to Indian Autos Blog.

Click here to read about our wish list for the all new Ambassador

Source – Zigwheels.com