Can Ashok Leyland’s badge-engineered MPV, the Stile, steal the thunder from its cousin, the Nissan Evalia?
Space, though, is available in plenty. The second row has sliding windows, which are of little use, but the sliding captain seats are very handy – they open up enough legroom to comfortably accommodate adults at the back. However, the Stile does without air-con vents for the third row of seats. The large, flat tailgate flips open to reveal a healthy-sized boot even with all three rows up. The flexibility of carrying big or large quantities of luggage is limited as the third row is bolted to the floor.
The Stile’s front wheels are driven by a detuned version of Renault’s 85bhp 1.5-litre K9K diesel motor. The engine, despite losing 11bhp of power and 1.54kgm of torque, is effortless at low to mid speeds and has adequate responsiveness even at higher rpms. Ashok Leyland claims to have remapped the ECU to deliver the best possible fuel efficiency even in the harshest of driving conditions. To further this objective, the 4th and 5th gears are overdriven on the Stile. Driving this people carrier is no chore either. The steering is well-weighted and direct, the clutch pedal is light, the view from the driver’s seat is commanding and its U-turns are tightly executed. However, reversing will require some care.