Volvo India Developing Medium-Duty Truck for Emerging Markets

Volvo Car Group’s product development center in Bengaluru, India, is designing a medium-duty commercial truck for emerging markets. The truck is to be completed in 2017.

The new model will compete in the 10-15 metric-ton truck segment. The vehicle will complement Volvo’s own FL series of 10-16 metric-ton commercial trucks, but at a lower price point. The FL series is marketed in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Volvo says the new truck won’t be produced in India but has not announced a production location. The company currently serves the country’s medium-duty truck market through VE Commercial Vehicles Ltd., a venture it launched with Eicher Motors Ltd. in 2008. The partnership markets Volvo trucks and Eicher brand trucks and buses, and it supplies parts and engineering design services.

Volvo’s 7-year-old Bengaluru center is preparing to add 200 engineers to the 800 already working there. The Swedish carmaker generates about 5% of its global revenue through its operations in India. The company’s heavy-duty truck operations in Hosakotte controls 60% of India’s premium truck market.