Ashok Leyland has revealed two new generation LCV platforms at the 2012 Auto Expo. The one which catches our attention the most is the Ashok Leyland Stile MFV (Multi-Functional Vehicle). The Stile is nothing but a Nissan NV200 (Nissan Evalia) van underneath and will be sold by Ashok Leyland as a commercial vehicle (Nissan will sell the passenger version). The Stile will be available in both CNG and diesel and will fit the bill for taxi services, hotel shuttles, courier services, ambulances, panel vans, etc. Unlike the Toyota Innova, the Stile uses a monocoque body and hence is lighter. A dual tone dashboard dons the interiors, while Ashok Leyland plan to offer 2 and 3 row seating configurations to buyers. Launch of the Stile is in 2013.
Ashok Leyland also unveiled the Partner, which is a new 6-tonne platform taken from Nissan. Powered by a ZD30-DDTI common rail diesel engine which is BSIV compliant, the Partner produces 120 HP of peak power. It comes with power steering and air-conditioning as standard and can be adapted to various applications with ease. The Dost LCV was also showcased in its CNG avatar and will be launched in the later half of the year.
