Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV) today showcased its all-new range of BharatBenz vehicles. On display were over a dozen medium and heavy duty trucks, and buses updated inside and out. The new product portfolio, compliant with BSVI, is now available for pre-bookings and will be introduced depending on the fuel availability in each region. DICV has already begun receiving orders from customers.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Satyakam Arya, MD & CEO, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, said, “BharatBenz’s new CV range offers Indian customers the solution they need for the future, setting new benchmarks for medium and heavy duty trucks with improved fuel efficiency, safety and connectivity. Going forward, we will move away from tonnage and focus on customized solutions for different applications.”
Daimler’s new generation of CVs offers ‘ProfitTechnology+’, a package of technologies and features ensuring industry-leading fuel efficiency, safety, comfort and reliability. With the new generation of BharatBenz trucks, DICV moves away from the traditional tonnage classification. Instead it will focus on creating ‘the best truck for every need’, customizing vehicles for use applications and targeting specific sectors such as e-commerce.
Key among the technologies showcased was Proserv, its customer service digital platform, and the new telematics solutions ‘Truckonnect’ and ‘Bus Connect’. These connectivity-enhancing services allow operators to track and analyse their vehicles in real time. The benefits of this include improved fleet and fuel management, reduced running costs, increased utilization of assets and improved driver performance.
The Proserv application is enabled with 65+ features including advance booking, parts ordering, renewal of contracts, extended warranty, insurance, fleet maintenance, 24×7 RSA and integration with all types of online payment options bringing everything for the customer at their fingertips.
The new BharatBenz range introduces numerous new features. The exteriors get a bold and solid styling and are equipped with a distinctive front grille with a bumper spoiler, giving the trucks a mighty look. The cabins are more comfortable, thanks to air suspended seats. The vehicle comes with soft cruise control that helps drivers maintain a constant speed and thereby improves fuel efficiency. The instrument cluster will also have a gear-shift advisory, bringing more awareness to driving in the right gear.
BharatBenz buses will come with the new future-ready electrical and electronic architecture ‘ETec’ that offers an advanced human interface, easy fault detection, chassis-body CAN interface, and next generation electronics.
Bus Connect will cater to both passengers and operators. Passengers will be able to select routes, get tracking alerts, access onboard entertainment and also earn reward miles. Operators will get fleet summaries and dashboards with reports that will improve fleet administration.
The BharatBenz trucks and buses will be powered by the OM926 engine and 4D34i. The key differentiator in technology will be the after treatment systems used in the vehicles. BharatBenz trucks come with up to 6 years standard warranty and industry-best extended warranty upto 8 years. The trucks will have service intervals up to 20 percent longer and will reduce maintenance cost significantly by up to six percent.
The new range further achieves BSVI compliance months ahead of the government’s April 2020 deadline. DICV leveraged Daimler’s global network of technological expertise to quickly and efficiently localize proven EURO6 technologies for use in the Indian market. With an investment of around INR 500 crore, DICV developed new facilities and over 1000 new parts for BSVI, all while achieving localization above 80%.
In addition to completing over 5.2 million kilometers of BSVI testing in India, DICV is also gearing up its after-sales network with learnings from other markets. These competencies have been incorporated into training modules at its dealerships, which now spread across India with over 235 customer touchpoints nationwide.
