The Ashok Leyland group under the Hinduja firm had decided to launch a range of trucks named “Captain”. This range was supposed to have 18 different variety of trucks, each suitable to fit every business man’s need.
This range of Ashok Leyland trucks has almost taken up 600-700 crore for the development of heavy and medium range models.
This series has almost about 16-49 tonnes in various types such as tippers, tractors and haulage vehicles. Later reports confirmed that the company took help from Italian firms for the cabin design and the UK firms for structural engineering. The company even exported this range of trucks to outer parts of India such as the Middle East, Latin America, Africa and South-East Asian countries.
On other parts, the model of this range was intricately designed with great ergonomics. It claims to offer superior comfort, longer life and optimal performance. The gross vehicle weight of these vehicles is about 16T whereas the Gross Trailer weighs 49T.
The fuel efficiency, vehicle uptime and turnaround also are faster and better because of 180 hp to 360 hp inline and CRS engine that has been paired with the highly durable transmission. The vehicles also are infused with state of the art electrical and electronic architecture with self-diagnostic capability. This, in turn, helps to bring in greater safety and reliability. A 3 way suspended driver’s seat with multi-level adjustment, tiltable and telescopic steering column, air-conditioning and a music system offer a comfortable and relaxing driving experience.
The vehicles are available in three different varieties and they are – Economy, Standard and Deluxe. They all function differently as for a Day Cab, a sleeping cab and a high roof cab.
The range’s first-ever model, the Captain 2523 tipper was indeed a popular launch in the market. It was specifically designed to meet the ultimate needs of the workers in the mines. It had high torque, the fuel-efficient H series CRS engine and 9-speed gearbox.
The tippers in this range have two GVW nodes, one of 25T and the other of 31T. This helps amazingly for surface transportation and deep mining. A lot of trial and testing has been done on these models to ensure that they can go through the toughest of situations and still deliver great results. The maintenance and cost of these vehicles are quite on the lower side as well.
Initially, the captain range had launched only 4 variants and they were – 2523T, 3123T, 2518T and 40iT. This range comes up as quite a unique launch in the market since the company had joined hands with the real-life drivers and workers in order to understand their lifestyle and requirements thoroughly. The range, therefore, provides exactly what is needed without any further complications. The cabin of these vehicles is almost as wide as 2.5 metre with wide doors and front flaps. It stands out from all the other models and ranges in the market.