Small and cosy: Maruti unveils the Suzuki Twin Hybrid, a two-seater car, at the Calcutta auto fair on Sunday. Picture by Pabitra Das

Calcutta, Feb. 22: The Uttarpara factory of Hindustan Motors will roll out a six-tonne light commercial vehicle (LCV) in six months. The plant currently manufactures Ambassador cars and trekkers, producing 70 vehicles a day.

“The LCV engine will be provided by an Indian company. The LCV will be manufactured at Uttarpara. It will roll out in six months,” vice-president Satish Burman said.

State transport minister Subhas Chakroborty unveiled the company’s Avigo (a new-look retro Ambassador), Porter Plus and a hardtop trekker at the Calcutta Auto Fair today.

Barman said the company is looking at selling 18,000-20,000 Ambassador cars and trekkers in the current fiscal, as well as 1,200 rural-transport vehicles.

Commenting about the Contessa model, which is sold in lesser numbers, Burman said, “We have not discontinued the product. It is still being manufactured at Uttarpara and there are takers also. We feel that the size of Contessa should be trimmed to make it a space-saving vehicle. However, no decision has been taken yet.”

The ex-showroom price of Avigo Petrol in Calcutta is to the tune of Rs 4.98 lakh and that of the diesel version is Rs 4.77 lakh.

“With its latest offering of Avigo, Hindustan Motors is further strengthening its position in the upmarket personal car ownership segment. Avigo is targeted at customers who value the luxuries of modern cars and also want to project a distinctive style of yesteryears,” Burman said.

With re-styled exteriors and refurbished interiors, Avigo is a contemporary car with upgraded technical features, he added.

With the launch of the new Porter Plus, Hindustan Motors is aiming to capture a significant part of the fast growing pick-up market all over the country. The ex-showroom price of Porter Plus in Calcutta is Rs 3.04 lakh.

“For cities like Calcutta, where trucks are embargoed from entering the metro limits, this pick-up vehicle would be an ideal option as it can operate as a distributor on the feeder routes,” Barman said.

The hardtop trekker (multi-utility vehicle) is targeted at the commercial and private segments. The company has a soft-top version, which has now been replaced by the hardtop variant. The ex-showroom price is Rs 3.58 lakh.