Hindustan Motors will soon roll out the Ambassador with a BSIV compliant engine. The BS IV Ambassador will be manufactured at HM’s Uttarpara plant in Hoogly from August this year.
The move opens the 17 major metro markets, especially Kolkata, for the new model. The sale of BS III cars has been banned in these markets since April 2010. According to HM, the BS IV Ambassador comes with an upgraded 1.5-litre diesel engine which has more torque and offers similar fuel-economy.
The Ambassador has been certified as BS IV emissions compliant vehicle by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), Pune by clearing its mass emission, OBD II (onboard diagnostics) and other related tests as per Rule 115 of Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, effective April 2013.
Welcoming the development, HM’s managing director and CEO, Uttam Bose, said, “We had been working on upgrading our Ambassador 1.5-litre diesel car to match BS IV norms for over a year. We are happy that our efforts have borne fruit and we have received certification from ARAI after passing rigorous tests. This has demolished the myth that Hindustan Motors cannot upgrade its existing engines. Moreover, this opens hitherto forbidden markets where this vehicle commands enviable loyalty in the taxi segment. We expect our sales to grow significantly within a few months.”
Hindustan Motor’s has recently displayed the upgraded Ambassador to Kolkata’s taxi associations and had invited them to drive the vehicle on HM’s test track and is thus expecting some orders from the association.
Shobha Mathur