Ashok Leyland FAT 6×6 Review
Truck Tested: Ashok Leyland FAT 6×6 ; Road Test No. 1029; Test Location: Chennai
Price: Rs. 1 Crore (est.)
The FAT 6×6 is designed to conquer the roughest and toughest of terrains
We at MotorBeam have got something very special for today’s test drive. It’s not a car and not a bike too. This is something that keeps us safe and is the backbone of the Indian Army’s logistical supply. Say hello to the Ashok Leyland FAT 6×6. FAT stands for Field Artillery Tractor whereas 6×6 means that the power is channeled to all the six wheels.
Motor Quest: Ashok Leyland is the only conglomerate selling a 6×6 to the Indian Army with a Made-in-India engine. Designed on the company’s Super Stallion platform, the FAT 6×6 replaces the fleet of Scania SBAT111S used by the Army.
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The Ashok Leyland FAT 6×6 is an absolute giant
Exteriors – First, let’s get the numbers out of the way. The vehicle measures 8630 mm in length, 2500 mm in width and 3250 mm in height. That’s the size of an average adult African Elephant (in terms of the height and width though)! That’s super intimidating, isn’t it? At the front, the FAT 6×6 gets halogen headlights with protectors. The bumper houses a self-recovery winch with a pulling capacity of 10 tonnes. The huge windscreens get single wipers each and above it sits a beacon.
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The FAT 6×6 is 8630 mm long
The FAT 6×6 looks so intimidating, it is just something else
The side profile is dominated by the massive Michelin tyres and these are self-inflating which means if you press a button, the tyres can be deflated in no time whereas inflating the tyre takes approximately 30 minutes. Also present is a 350-litres diesel tank with a pressure monitor (which is an essential, considering the kind of terrains the vehicle operates in). The rear gets a brownish green soft top which increases the ruggedness appeal of the FAT 6×6 and the tractor wears a camouflage kind of paint scheme which looks really cool.
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Each item in the cabin of the FAT 6×6 has a purpose
Interiors – In terms of the cabin, at the front, there is space for four occupants including the driver and in the crew cab, there is space for six people to sit or four people to sleep. Storage spaces are plenty and in fact, at the rear, there is a crane as well as a spare wheel and still plenty of space to keep stuff. The crane has a towing capacity of 2.7 tonnes! Getting inside the cabin is a task in itself but there are lot of handles to hold onto. Once you do get inside, you get a commanding view of the road and are greeted by a massive steering wheel, comfortable seats (the driver and the passenger seats are adjustable in every possible way!) and an eight gauge instrument cluster which shows umpteen information.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/43826263400/[/flickr]
The cabin of the FAT 6×6 is spartan and all military-grade
The FAT 6×6 gets a host of state-of-the-art safety technologies
The centre console gets a ton of buttons and tell-tale lights for various functions and everything here is long-lasting and has a robust feel to it. In terms of features, you get a fire and smoke detection system, heck this truck also has an infrared rear view camera. Apart from all this, there are AC vents and the FAT 6×6 also gets a telephone inside the cabin.
