Nationwide dealers begin consultations and sales
On display at four company-run service centers for four months
Cab width cut by up to 115 millimeters for tighter urban maneuvering
Priced 15 to 20 percent below existing midsize trucks
Built to accommodate cargo, environmental and dump-truck variants
Tata Daewoo Mobility is launching full-scale nationwide sales of the Hixen, a midsize truck designed for urban transport. The vehicle has a smaller body than existing midsize trucks while retaining comparable loading capacity, and it is priced 15 to 20 percent lower. The company is targeting the urban logistics and special-purpose vehicle markets.
Tata Daewoo Mobility said Wednesday that nationwide dealers began full-scale sales and consultations for the Hixen this month.
The company is also expanding the spaces where customers can see the vehicle in person. It will display the Hixen for about four months at four company-run service centers nationwide — the Gyeonggi, Gyeongin, Busan and Chunghonam service centers.
The rollout follows the Hixen's launch in June, when the company delivered its first unit to a customer, marking the full activation of its sales network. Both existing customers visiting the centers for vehicle maintenance and prospective buyers can now inspect the truck in person and receive consultations.
The Hixen was developed to serve not only urban transport and general freight but also demand for various special-purpose vehicles. Its defining feature is a body close in size to a semi-midsize truck combined with midsize-class loading performance.
The company shrank the body to make the truck easier to maneuver in narrow alleys and congested urban areas. Compared with existing midsize trucks, the company cut the width of the driver's cab by up to 115 millimeters and its height by up to 325 millimeters.
The frame, which serves as the vehicle's structural backbone, uses a newly developed 220-millimeter specification, designed to reduce body weight while maintaining the necessary rigidity.
The truck offers axle load capacity of up to 15 tons and multiple wheelbase options, allowing it to be built not just as a standard cargo truck but also as various special-purpose vehicles, including environmental trucks and dump trucks.
The company also focused on lowering costs after purchase. The Hixen is priced about 15 to 20 percent below existing midsize trucks.
It also comes with features meant to ease maintenance burdens. The truck uses a single selective catalytic reduction system to treat exhaust gas and has a fuel filter replacement cycle of 100,000 kilometers. It is also equipped with a hydraulic lash adjuster that automatically regulates engine valve clearance, reducing the number of items requiring regular maintenance.
Given that commercial vehicle drivers spend long hours at work in their vehicles, the interior was designed around the driver's seat, with added convenience features.
"Since commercial vehicles are products that call for ongoing service even after purchase, we arranged this display at four company-run service centers so customers can inspect the vehicle in person and get consultations," a Tata Daewoo Mobility official said. "Going forward, Tata Daewoo Mobility will consistently create opportunities for customers to see and experience the Hixen firsthand, expanding touch points so more customers can discover the strengths of our new product."
kwater@heraldcorp.com
