STiLE marking the debut of Ashok Leyland’s play in Indian Passenger Car market
All these years, we used to see gloomy buses and kid-coloured trucks bearing the Ashok Leyland logo on road. Ashok Leyland operated only in the range of 7.5-45 ton capacity trucks all around the world. “Dost” was the group’s light commercial vehicle designed as a ready-to use vehicle (RUV). DOST was used as luggage carrier and also for carrying aluminum and refrigerated containers and also as ambulance, by making suitable modifications. But now Ashok Leyland has released its first ever passenger car “STiLE” and thus, the Hinduja Group-Nissan Motors joint venture has marked its entry into the light commercial vehicle segment. Being called the twin of Nissan Evalia, STiLE has the same 1.46 litre four-cylinder engine as Evalia has got. So better we look into Stile with mainly Evalia’s picture in hand. Though STiLE’s power is 75bhp as compared to Evalia’s 85 bhp, it has no turbo-lag and has quicker response to increasing speeds and performs well at higher loads.
Maximum Torque of 185nm
Even with lesser horse power, the pulling power is very good at higher speeds. The car can get through normal speed breakers smoothly even in the third gear. Its wheels easily run towards its maximum indicated speed of 150kmp (actual speed that can be maintained is 120kmph though) after you shift to fifth gear. The maximum torque is 185Nm in the range of 1750-2750 rpm.
Better suspension
While the front suspension has strut type coil spring, rear suspension is of leaf springs. With the overall length 4.4 m and new technology, car’s turning radius is an amazing 5.2m, very less compared to any car in the segment.
No Airbags and ABS
Big defects in the matter of safety: there are no airbags and there is no ABS. With disc brakes in the front and the car needing a large distance of 36 meters to halt from a speed of 80kmph, the absence of ABS quite matters. The car’s rear end may rise in case of such sudden brakes.
Aerodynamic design and better leg space
Aerodynamic design is nice and better in STiLE when compared to Nissan Evalia and the old Maruti Suzuki EECO. The car comes in a number of variants with seven and eight seat options before you. The car comes with captain seats in the middle row in case of seven-seat car and bench seats in case of eight-seat car. The third row has three seats of bench-type in both the variants. Yet with large room space and leg space, bench seats do not pose problem to your seating comforts.
No steering and driver seat Adjustments
Speaking about other comforts, steering is not adjustable. Even the driver’s seat is not adjustable with respect to height but can be adjusted lengthwise for reaching the steering. If you have more luggage, you’ll have to go with lesser companions and may fold the third row bench seat to use the large boot area as luggage space. So the car turns out to be an MUV.
Costs 7 to 10 Lakhs
In STiLE, unlike other MUV’s the window glass can be slid by passengers of both second and third rows. The sliding doors in the back row are a great advantage in cities with parking problems and also useful for multipurpose use. So Stile can turn into DOST in terms of utility,but the price is just double. It can be even used as an ambulance with AC and other features. The price range is Rs.7 Lakhs to 10 Lakhs depending on model and features.
So are you ready to head towards the TRUCK SHOWROOM?!