Ashok Leyland has launched the Bada Dost in India with a starting price tag of Rs. 7.75 lakhs (ex-showroom, Mumbai).
Built on a new in-house developed platform, the Bada Dost comes in two variants – i3 and i4 and each variant has two trims namely LS and LX.
As mentioned above, the price range starts at Rs. 7.75 lakhs for i3 LS and goes up to Rs. 7.99 lakhs for i4 LX (prices ex-showroom, Mumbai).
This, Ashok Leyland says, will reduce the price gap within its Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) portfolio and help it move towards its vision of being amongst top 10 global commercial vehicle makers, by way of the Bada Dost becoming a serious player in its segment.
Powering the LCV is a BS6-compliant 1.5-litre, 3-cylinder, turbocharged diesel engine that produces 80 HP at 3300 RPM and 190 Nm at 1600-2400 RPM. The motor is paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Payload capacity for the Ashok Leyland Bada Dost i3 is 1405 kg and for the i4 is 1860 kg, which the CV maker claims is best in its class. Features offered on the 3-seater vehicle include a foldable backrest, dual-tone dashboard, digital instrument cluster, dash-mounted gear lever, power steering and as an option, air-conditioning.
The manufacturer also states that the Bada Dost will be available in both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive options and that it will be built at its newly installed, state-of-the-art, fully robotic cubing line at Hosur.
LCVs accounted for 40 percent of Ashok Leyland’s overall sales in FY20. Thus, with the launch of the Bada Dost, the CV maker wants to improve on those numbers. Plans are also on to introduce electric versions of the Bada Dost in the future so that it stays relevant with the changing times.
Launched initially in seven States, the LCV will gradually be available pan-India over the next three months. Bookings are open through both, physical and digital platforms.
Ashok Leyland Bada Dost
- i3 LS – Rs. 7.75 lakhs
- i3 LX – Rs. 7.95 lakhs
- i4 LS – Rs. 7.79 lakhs
- i4 LX – Rs. 7.99 lakhs
*Prices are ex-showroom, Mumbai
