July 25, 2013: There will not be a single town in India which does not have the rough and tough Ambassador ambling on its way. After decades of presence in the Indian market India’s very own Amby is going to get a face lift according to company sources and it is said that Hindustan Motors will be coming out with a smaller version of the car by this year end.
In a statement quoted from what Uttam Bose, CEO, Hindustan Motors said, “The new model will be on the existing platform, but will have many new and advanced features that exist in other automobiles. It will have some prefix or suffix to the ‘Ambassador’ brand and will sport a peppy and youthful look. It will also have new features sought by young and modern customers and will be competitively priced, offering ideal value for money.” The company plans to come out with a small car which is less than 4 metres and they would be trying to get the advantage of the lower excise duty. This would be making the compact Ambassador car cheaper than its predecessor.
Though Amby will not be falling in the hatchback category, Hindustan Motors will not be compromising on the cabin space and the company would be trying to give its customers better value for money. Hindustan Motors in the recent years have done a lot of market research in this area and it feels that Ambassador still has a lot of brand loyalty in rural and semi urban India. Ambassador cars are still perceived to be luxury cars used mostly by politicians and bureaucrats in this area.
After being voted as the world’s best taxi in the BBC “Top Gear” show, Hindustan Motors according to Mr. Bose would be trying to make up the lost space through “formidable brand equity, low cost of ownership, easy and cost-effective maintenance, robust and sturdy build, unmatched cabin space and boot volume and perfect suitability for Indian roads”.
