Amitabh Bachchan launches Force One

Force Motors launched its first premium sports utility vehicle (SUV) ‘Force One’ priced at Rs 10.65 lakh, ex-showroom Delhi, to compete with Mahindra and Mahindra’s Xylo and Tata Motors Safari and crossover vehicle Aria in the domestic market on Friday in Mumbai.

"We see a total SUV market of 70,000 vehicles per year. We plan to sell about 4,000 units of our model in the first year from launch," Prasan Firodia, managing director, Force Motors told reporters after the launch of the SUV. The company has roped in Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan as brand ambassador for one-year period.

Firodia said the company would introduce the four-wheel drive variant of Force One by December 2012. A new SUV will also be introduced by mid-2013, he added.

The Mahindra Scorpio is priced between Rs 7.08 lakh to Rs 11.9 lakh and Tata Safari is sold for Rs 8.10 lakh to Rs 11.9 lakh in the domestic market.

Force Motors has launched only one variant with 2.2 litre diesel engine under license from Daimler AG. The SUV will be available for sale from beginning of next month.

The utility-vehicle segment has so far also been insulated from a gradual slowdown that has lately hit the domestic automobile industry. Automakers have sold 107,518 utility vehicles locally from April to July 2011 period, up by eight per cent from the same period pervious year.

The company plans to introduce a multi-purpose vehicle in 2012 and a second SUV in 2013. Force Motors has invested Rs 150 crore in to the SUV foray and has the capacity to make 12,000 units per year at company’s plant in Pithampur in Madhya Pradesh.

The company has planned to invest Rs 1,000 crore in the next three years. And with the presence of a brand ambassador as the powerful Amitabh Bachchan, it is always a step in the right direction.