Eicher Polaris rolls out rural MUV Multix at Rs. 2.32 lakh

Eicher Polaris, the 50:50 joint venture (JV) between Eicher Motors and US-based Polaris Industries, on Thursday launched the Multix, a multiutility vehicle targeted at the rural buyer.

The vehicle, which has taken three years in making, will be available in two models priced at ₹ 2.32 lakh and ₹ 2.72 lakh (exshowroom Delhi) from August via 30 dedicated dealerships.

A unique feature in the Multix is the XPort, an extension of the transmission that can be yoked to a water pump or a power generator. Eicher Polaris will also sell a power unit as an accessory. The unit is capable of generating 3 KV of electricity for 12 hours on a full tank of diesel.

Introducing the Multix, Siddhartha Lal, chief executive officer and managing director, Eicher Motors, said, "Most vehicles available today are western ones adapted for India. The Multix is developed ground-up for India, specifically with the rural Indian in focus."

"Multix addresses the needs of a section that is living with suboptimal options," said Radhesh Verma, CEO, Eicher Polaris.

The Multix has a 511cc diesel engine that can generate 10PS of power and 27Nm of torque and deliver a claimed mileage of 28.5 kpl. It conforms to Bharat 3 emission norms, and thus cannot be sold in metros. The closest competition to the Multix is the Tata Ace, which is metroready, but priced a full ₹ 1 lakh over Multix AX model.