POPULAR WORDS

January 29, 2010

The latest player to throw its hat into an already crowded ring is Indian-Czech manufacturer AVIA Ashok Leyland.

The company has confirmed plans to bring at least three models to Australia under a deal with West Australian company Reymer, which will be responsible for distributing them.

Originally an aeroplane manufacturer dating back to 1920, the 90-year-old AVIA Ashok Leyland with over 60 years truck building experience was part of the Daewoo group before being bought out by Indian conglomerate Ashok Leyland in 2006.

The three models coming to Australia will be under the banner of the D-Line range and will include the D75.

The model offers 7490kg GVM, while the D100 will be 9990kg GVM.

The D120 is a 12000kg GVM model.

Power for the new range of trucks will come from the proven Cummins ISBe4 4.5-litre engine with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) emission control technology.

There will be a driver controlled four-stage exhaust brake.

Many AVIA components are proprietary, including ZF gearboxes and Wabco disc brakes, which helps to contain costs rather than going the rough the expense of developing systems in-house.

The D75 and D100 run steel suspensions as standard, while the D120 will offer the option of Hendricksen airbag suspension for the rear axle.

Inside, the driver gets luxuries such as an air suspension seat, air-conditioning, cruise control and cabin adjustable headlight height.

The D120 is expected to sell for $73,500 plus GST for the steels suspension version when it goes on sale later this year.