Tata Motors recently launched 10 new Heavy Commercial Vehicles from its Prima LX range, as a significant step towards ushering in a new era in the Indian trucking landscape. Launching six new heavy trucks in the haulage segment and four in the construction segment, the Prima LX range is a combination of economy and performance and sets the new benchmark in styling and features from Tata Motors medium & heavy commercial vehicle stable.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ravi Pisharody, Executive Director – Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors, said, “We revolutionised the Indian trucking landscape with the launch of brand Prima in 2008. As a commitment towards intense product focus, a key pillar of our HORIZONEXT strategy, we have leveraged our deep customer insights to take the strengths of the Prima mainstream. The Prima LX range is one such instance of a world-class offering adapted for Indian conditions, redefining customer experience with enhanced technologies, built to global standards with an ideal blend of technology and economy. The new Prima LX trucks being launched today are geared to help customers meet a challenging market environment, allowing transporters to upgrade to a more modern trucking systems.”
Tata Motors launched six new models of the Prima LX in the cargo segment – Prima LX 4928.S SRT, Prima LX 4928.S HRT, Prima LX 4028.S SR, Prima LX 4028.S HR, Prima LX 2523.T and Prima LX 3123.T. In tippers, Tata Motors launched four new models – Prima LX 2523.K, Prima LX 2528.K, Prima LX 3123.K and Prima LX 3128.K, all of which have different combinations of drivelines and load bodies, deployed across all possible applications.
In an effort to bring ‘The way the world trucks’ to India, Tata Motors conceived the Tata Prima in 2008. A combination of power, world-class performance, fuel efficiency, superior technology and safety, the Tata Prima has been built with technical inputs from across the world – an Italian cab design, engine technology from the USA and Europe, gearbox expertise from Germany, chassis frame know-how from Mexico, sheet metal dies from Japan and Korea, combined with Swedish precision on a robotic weld line, hence is also referred to as the ‘World’ truck. Tata Motors is expanding its range of Prima LX trucks to make the comfort, performance and reliability associated with the Prima brand available to a larger customer base. The Prima LX range is a result of customer feedback combined with evolving Indian operating conditions and Tata Motors’ efforts to One Step Ahead, combined with evolving Indian operating conditions, thereby enhancing the Prima portfolio and giving customers a wider choice in terms of a modern truck.
Mr. R. Ramakrishnan – Senior Vice President, (Commercial), Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors Ltd. said, “Each of these Prima trucks launched today, have been designed as per customer and driver requirements, with best-in-class design, performance, cabin comfort, safety and best-in-class TCO (Total cost of ownership), with strict adherence to emission norms. These trucks will be backed by Tata Motors “Power of 5” special offerings that will help customers maximise the features of these new trucks to the optimum and further our dominance in the Indian market “.
Tata Motors Prima LX range of cargo trucks
The Prima LX 4928.S, for the first time, combines the power, driveability, reliability and performance of the Prima 49 Tonne prime mover with the total ownership costs of a conventional vehicle. The vehicle comes with the high performance 267 hp Cummins ISBe 6.7 engine, Tata G1150 9-Speed gearbox, world-class Prima cabin with optional AC, mechanically suspended seats etc. The Prima LX 4928.S is offered in both single reduction tandem axles (SRT) or hub reduction tandem axles (HRT) options. While the SRT variant is designed for performance sensitive customers wanting high turnaround times combined for rated load and highway applications, the HRT variant is designed to cater to customers with high torque requirements combined with the requirement for higher ground clearance.
The Prima LX 4028.S brings the power, performance and features, including the optional AC, of the Prima LX 4928.S to the 40 tonne prime mover segment, while optimizing the total ownership costs for this segment. This product also comes with the option of SR (single reduction) and HR (Hub reduction) axles. The SR option is meant for performance and time sensitive customers plying mostly on highway and rated load applications, whereas the HR option is ideal for customers requiring high wheel torque as well as higher ground clearance.
The Prima LX 2523.T and Prima LX 3123.T are the first products to extend the Prima DNA into the multi-axle trucks category. These vehicles are the first multi-axle trucks in India to get the world class Prima LX cabin and all its features including the 4-point suspension, mechanically suspended seats, optional AC and wide bunks. The Prima cabin being the widest cabin available on multi-axle trucks in India, will give the driver benchmark levels of visibility, safety and driving comfort.
The Prima LX 2523.T is a three axle truck with a GVW of 25 tonnes, and the Prima LX 3123.T is a four axle truck with a GVW of 31 tonnes with twin steerable axles. Both come with a high performance Cummins ISBe 5.9 common rail engine generating 230 hp. This engine is derived from India’s most popular CV engine, the Cummins 6BT, sharing the platforms and most components. Thus combining the trust and reliability with new age technology and performance.
Both models use Eaton’s ES-9106A DD gearboxes providing familiarity and reliability to the customers. The driveline upgrade also includes the heavy duty Tata RA 110 rear axle for high performance and reliability.
All these together make the Prima LX range of cargo trucks optimal for business profitability across a wide range of applications.
Tata Motors Prima LX range of tippers
The new Prima LX range has been designed, in line with the current industry requirement of high performance and fuel efficient tippers and is a result of Tata Motors continuous technological development & R&D efforts.
This range consists of tippers from 25 tonnes to 31 tonnes and power nodes from 230hp to 280hp, specially developed to extend the advantage of the Prima range to a much larger customer base, requiring lower power-to-weight ratios and more fuel efficient tippers.
The Prima LX range of tippers are rugged and heavy duty, with an unmatched combination of power and economy. Prima LX range is powered by a Cummins ISBe electronic engine with common rail injection system that delivers best-in-class fuel efficiency. Fitted with Tata G 1150 9-speed gearbox from Tata Motors, these vehicles are also coupled with heavy duty RA109 rear axle & a larger 430 mm diameter organic clutch for efficient and reliable power transmission. The complete driveline is configured to deliver best in class mileage.
This range also features engine diagnostic systems & monitoring of running parameters which help in efficient operations and enhanced vehicle uptime. The Prima LX world class cabin comes with a 4 point suspension for reduced noise and vibration levels, high level of safety and an optional AC that adds to the comfort of the driver.
Additionally all Tata Motors’ trucks are supported by the “Power of 5”, a set of innovative offerings, to enable Tata Motors to strengthen its customer support and engagement. These services being –
Tata Alert – Tata Alert is a highway assistance programme for medium and heavy commercial vehicles, available across all national highways. Through ‘Tata Alert’, drivers will receive on-site breakdown assistance within 4 hours of dialing a toll-free helpline number (1800-209-7979). The 24×7 ‘Tata Alert’ service will ensure that a vehicle is put back on the road within 48 hours from the time restoration work begins. In case of major repairs and the vehicle carrying perishable goods, ‘Tata Alert’ will provide load transfer assistance.
Tata FleetMan – In an effort to empower customers, to allow customers to monitor their fleet from the comfort of their office or homes, Tata Motors launched the Tata FleetMan fleet telematics service. Combining the power of modern-day technology like SMS, emails and remote unit management, Tata FleetMan offers greater operation control, leading to faster processes and higher productivity for customers.
Triple Benefit Insurance – Tata Motors has launched a new premium ‘Triple Benefit Insurance’ across its range of M&HCV, ICV & LCV Trucks and Tippers, yet another first from Tata Motors in the Indian commercial vehicle space. Designed specifically to minimize the financial impact to Tata Motors CV customers, the new premium ‘Triple Benefit Insurance’ maximises peace of mind, to the extent of full protection against loss of time and income, due to accidents. In partnership with Iffco-Tokio General Insurance Company, the ‘Triple Benefit Insurance’ is available under the “Standard Motor Insurance” policy with 3 specifically designed add-on covers – Depreciation waiver / Zero Depreciation Coverage, New Vehicle Replacement Coverage and Loss of Income/ Vehicle Hire Cost.
Tata Motors 4 year warranty – Tata Motors now offers an unbeatable warranty of 4 years, on its entire range of medium & heavy trucks from 16 tonnes GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) and higher, and has been extended from the earlier 25 tonnes and higher GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) range as of March 01, 2014. The 4-year warranty is applicable on the full range of tractor trailers, multi-axle trucks & tippers, covering the vehicle’s driveline (engine, gear box & rear axle) as a standard offer. The 4-year warranty is supported by Tata Motors extensive dealership & service network of over 1,700 touch points with one present every 50 kms, on all major the highways of India..
Extended Service Interval – For any business it is important that a vehicle stays on the road for maximum time and doesn’t have to visit the service centre too often. Hence Tata Motors has extended service intervals on its range of M&HCV vehicles – on engine oil, gear oil and rear axle oil, enabling savings of Rs 30,000 over 4 years and delivering higher uptime.
In another pioneering effort in the Indian trucking space, Tata Motors recently announced the T1 PRIMA TRUCK RACING CHAMPIONSHIP, to bring truck racing to India. India’s first ever truck racing championship will be held under the aegis of the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) and FMSCI (the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India) and will be held on March 23, 2014, at the internationally acclaimed Budh International Circuit, giving Indian audiences a grand spectacle of trucks competing against each other. The T1 PRIMA TRUCK RACING CHAMPIONSHIP will feature 12 Tata PRIMA trucks, built for the purpose. These will be divided among six teams, with participation from experienced international drivers. The truck racing championship is being organised by Madras Motor Sports Club (MMSC), with safety and performance standards being followed as per the British Truck Racing Association (BTRA) guidelines.
Also see – Tata Motors to have 35 new Commercial Vehicle launches by March-2014
