SCOOP! Sub-4 metre Ambassador

Hindustan Motors is ready to give a fresh lease of life to the 60 year old Ambassador. As can be seen from the spy shots here the Ambassador's generous boot has been cropped significantly to bring it under 4 metres in length to qualify as ‘small car’ which attract a lower rate of excise duty.

The rear now truncates sharply, though it still has the rounded hump associated with Ambassadors. As a result the Amby's normally cavernous boot will be far more modest. Don't expect the chopped Amby to swallow the entire marriage party's luggage to the train station but there should be enough space for a CNG cylinder and a few bags.  Expect minor tweaks to the rest of the design and spruced up interiors as well.

The shortened Amby will also sport a re-tuned version of the existing 1.5 litre diesel motor. Currently, the motor generates a wheezy 35.5bhp  of power and 13.7 kgm of torque. Out on the highway the disguised prototype didn't seem at ease and strained to outpace us as we clicked photos. However, HM is expected to update this motor significantly to bump up the performance. To meet the latest emission standards, it could even feature a turbocharger when it makes its debut later this year or at the Auto Expo in January 2012. HM can expect to save around Rs 30,000 thanks to a 10 percent excise saving and a substantial part of this cost benefit is likely to be passed on to customers. Whether, this will be enough to re-vitalise the veritable Amby’s fortunes remains to be seen. 

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