HomeCommercial VehiclesAshok Leyland2020 Ashok Leyland Dost BS6 Spied Testing For First Time - Video

2020 Ashok Leyland Dost BS6 Spied Testing For First Time – Video

Ahead of its launch, the updated Ashok Leyland Dost BS6 has been spied on video

The marriage between Ashok Leyland and Nissan to establish presence in India’s promising Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) segment started off euphorically but ended in an unceremonious divorce. When things settled, the Indian CV major retained the rights to manufacture and sell the Dost family of LCVs.

The Ashok Leyland Dost has managed to create a niche for itself in the 1 – 1.5 tonne payload category and even after 9 years since its launch, manages to sell in decent numbers. So, it is not a surprise that AshLey wants to keep its LCV alive in the new BS6 era.

It’s to be noted that the Dost is based on a Nissan CV platform which has been localized heavily in India. The vehicle is powered by a 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine which was developed by the Indo-Japanese JV. In its current avatar, the engine is available in two states of tune.

On board the Dost Plus which has a payload capacity of 1,475 kg, the motor produces 60 hp and 170 Nm of torque. The entry and mid-level Dost Lite and Dost Strong modes make do with a 58 hp and 157.5 Nm version. All the variants employ a 5-speed manual transmission.

The Dost Lite, Strong and Plus have rated payload capacities of 1,150 kg, 1,250 kg and 1,475 kg respectively. The LCV family is pitted against different variants of Tata Intra (successor to Super Ace). The BS6 version is not expected to have much changes to the engine’s output figures or the family’s payload capacities.

A camouflaged prototype of 2020 Ashok Leyland Dost BS6 has been spotted testing. The noticeable visual changes include a new bumper with larger air-dam, reflectors and provision for fog lights. The sheet metal part of the vehicle appear to have been carried forward without any changes.

2020 Ashok Leyland Dost BS6 Spy Video

Considering that Tata Motors has upped the game in the mid-premium Intra with creature comforts, we expect the updated Dost to feature revised interiors. We expect the goods carrier to offer optional air conditioning and standard power steering like the existing variant.

The 2020 Ashok Leyland Dost BS6 is expected to have a considerable price hike when it goes on sale next month. The Chennai-based CV maker is also looking at expanding its presence in the sub-5 tonne category by introducing more LCVs but the details are scarce at the moment.

As of now, lion’s share of Ashok Leyland’s revenue comes from medium and heavy commercial vehicles. The company announced last year that all of its models from GVW 16.2 tonne and above are ready with BS-VI compliant engines. These variants will be made available once the BS-VI grade diesel fuel is made available across the country.

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