FORCE MOTORS MPV

When?: End-2012

How much?: Rs 10 to 13 lakh (estimated)

Variants: 2.2 FMTECH diesel

Force Motors first serious foray into the car market with the Force One has met with decent success. On the back of it comes its second product, its first MPV.

To call it an MPV would be rather wrong, it's more of a large van. In fact if you do know your vans, you would know the Mercedes-Benz Viano, which is what it exactly is. Except, what Force Motors will offer will be the last generation Viano that went out of production last year.

The Viano comes with different wheelbases and different lengths depending on application. While it is not clear whether Force Motors may do the same, what is known is that it will be offered with the same 2.2-litre, 138 bhp Mercedes-Benz diesel motor that also powers the Force One. Refined, torquey and efficient, the motor will be mated to the same five-speed manual gearbox as well.

Offered as a six, seven or eight seater, the Viano is much larger than the Innova. In fact, at 4.8 metres for the shortest variant, it rivals many luxury SUVs too! The seating is flexible with the second and third row capable of moving fore and aft, reclining and each individual seat can rotate by 90 degrees. The rear-wheel driven Viano doesn't have car-like dynamics, nevertheless for its size and kerb weight it is quite decent. Unlike the Innova, it comes with sliding doors, a plus especially for those in the hotel or corporate trade.

Think of the Viano as a viable option for large families, corporates, hotels and fleet services, a sort of modern day replacement for the good ol' MB 100 and 140D. To be assembled at the same facility as the Force One at Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh, the Viano's tooling and dies are being transferred from Germany. Whether Force Motors can pull this one off remains to be seen.

*Disclaimer: Prices are estimated and not exact. They could vary at the time of launch. Launch dates too are based on market estimates and knowledge and may wary.