[B_T]

Hello,

I am in the market for a new pick-up for agricultural use and I have been looking at options for the last couple of weekends.

What my needs are:
1. must be able to haul a payload of atleast 1 tonne comfortably.
2. must be able to register as a pvt vehicle. As am not very sure about what it means for a commercial vehicle (rules around licensing, taxes, fitness certificate y-o-y?), i am not very keen to go with one and deal with the cops routinely.
3. will be mostly used in Bangalore and outskirts of Bangalore - occasionally driven to other states - Kerala, TN, Goa, Andhra.
4. must be atmost 9Lakhs on-road in Bangalore.
5. It will be 2 persons in it most of the times, but need to seat 4, apart from the driver, at times. Definitely looking for a 5 seater.
6. not too keen about a 4x4 as the farm is not in an area that mandates 4x4 and am not going for any off-roading with it.
7. it will definitely not be used to haul manure. But definitely need a separate cabin - as it will keep the insects and dirt away from the cabin. Mentioned this, as i was also considering Bolero XL plus and Force cruiser as options.

Isuzu D-Max:

I am not talking about the V-Cross. There is going to be a regular model, which I believe is called D-Max Crew Cab. I have not seen this at the dealership nor do i have the specs for this. If anyone has them, please share them. I dont even know how much it cost onroad in Bangalore. However, one thing that I know, having spoken to the SA, is that it will not be available to be registered as a pvt vehicle. It needs an yellow board. ONLY V-Cross can be registered as a pvt vehicle.

Mahindra Imperio:

Liked it. Has a spacious and comfortable rear seat. For 8 Lakhs on road, you get the top end model. The loading bay is flat, which is a nice feature.

Again, the SA says that it cant be registered as pvt vehicle. Infact, he goes on say that even the campers cant be registered pvt vehicle. None in the pick-up category can be registered as pvt - very soon even Tata will feel the heat. Not sure how much of it is true. He also said, absolutely no offers or discounts.

Tata Xenon Crew Cab (3.0 Ltr):

Liked it. Ride comfort is ok at best, but it will not kill you anytime soon. Can be registered as pvt vehicle. There is a AMC offer which is going on, which will essentially mean that you pay almost nothing for car service for 2 years/50K kms. Apart from this, SA offered another 30K cash discount. People, is this the best that is possible? Anyone else heard/got better offers. Please let me know, would help in getting better discounts.

I really would love to buy Isuzu D-Max crew cab, provided they've not downgraded it quite a bit from the current space cab specs.

Also, pointers on what it means to buy and live with a yellow board vehicle, would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by B_T

Hello,

I am in the market for a new pick-up for agricultural use and I have been looking at options for the last couple of weekends.

What my needs are:
1. must be able to haul a payload of atleast 1 tonne comfortably.

Most of the big ones can do that

2. must be able to register as a pvt vehicle. As am not very sure about what it means for a commercial vehicle (rules around licensing, taxes, fitness certificate y-o-y?), i am not very keen to go with one and deal with the cops routinely.

Varies from state to state. Typically Dual cabs can be registered as Private vehicles. Space and single cabs : Nope. but in states like PB, even single two seater cabs are registered as white plate vehicles, I see Bolero max, dmax etc., with white number plates. Only a local RTO agent can tell you this

3. will be mostly used in Bangalore and outskirts of Bangalore - occasionally driven to other states - Kerala, TN, Goa, Andhra.
4. must be atmost 9Lakhs on-road in Bangalore.
5. It will be 2 persons in it most of the times, but need to seat 4, apart from the driver, at times. Definitely looking for a 5 seater.
6. not too keen about a 4x4 as the farm is not in an area that mandates 4x4 and am not going for any off-roading with it.
7. it will definitely not be used to haul manure. But definitely need a separate cabin - as it will keep the insects and dirt away from the cabin. Mentioned this, as i was also considering Bolero XL plus and Force cruiser as options.

Isuzu D-Max:

I am not talking about the V-Cross. There is going to be a regular model, which I believe is called D-Max Crew Cab. I have not seen this at the dealership nor do i have the specs for this. If anyone has them, please share them. I dont even know how much it cost onroad in Bangalore. However, one thing that I know, having spoken to the SA, is that it will not be available to be registered as a pvt vehicle. It needs an yellow board. ONLY V-Cross can be registered as a pvt vehicle.

Mahindra Imperio:

Liked it. Has a spacious and comfortable rear seat. For 8 Lakhs on road, you get the top end model. The loading bay is flat, which is a nice feature.

Again, the SA says that it cant be registered as pvt vehicle. Infact, he goes on say that even the campers cant be registered pvt vehicle. None in the pick-up category can be registered as pvt - very soon even Tata will feel the heat. Not sure how much of it is true. He also said, absolutely no offers or discounts.

Tata Xenon Crew Cab (3.0 Ltr):

Liked it. Ride comfort is ok at best, but it will not kill you anytime soon. Can be registered as pvt vehicle. There is a AMC offer which is going on, which will essentially mean that you pay almost nothing for car service for 2 years/50K kms. Apart from this, SA offered another 30K cash discount. People, is this the best that is possible? Anyone else heard/got better offers. Please let me know, would help in getting better discounts.

I really would love to buy Isuzu D-Max crew cab, provided they've not downgraded it quite a bit from the current space cab specs.

Also, pointers on what it means to buy and live with a yellow board vehicle, would be very helpful.

Thanks in advance.

Tata and the D-Max are your best bets. Dmax has a very nice engine. It has good low end torque, and when I tested the space cab, it was very nice to drive, not at all like a commercial vehicle.

Xenon 3.0 is a popular workhorse, and the 3.0 engine is more reliable and durable than the 2.2 as its from their 407 truck. Earlier versions had a cam sensor issue, but that is resolved.

[Jaggu]

You mention 1 Ton load carrying, none of the white board vehicles will be legal to do that as per KA RTO. So you are left with no choice but yellow boards.

Once you are ok with yellow board, my choice would be M&M Bolero camper is another good choice (availability of service and parts, abuse friendly), Isuzu second (due to service reach at this point of time) and then Tata as product preference.

[BlackPearl]

In West Bengal, Bolero Camper can be registered as private vehicle, but one cannot carry 1 ton load with private number plate as far as I know. Please get the necessary information from RTO in your in your area before investing. If white number plate is absolutely necessary, I would go for Tata Xenon 3.0 litre or the Mahindra Bolero Pickup in that order.

[B_T]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Most of the big ones can do that

Varies from state to state. Typically Dual cabs can be registered as Private vehicles. Space and single cabs : Nope. but in states like PB, even single two seater cabs are registered as white plate vehicles, I see Bolero max, dmax etc., with white number plates. Only a local RTO agent can tell you this

Tata and the D-Max are your best bets. Dmax has a very nice engine. It has good low end torque, and when I tested the space cab, it was very nice to drive, not at all like a commercial vehicle.

Xenon 3.0 is a popular workhorse, and the 3.0 engine is more reliable and durable than the 2.2 as its from their 407 truck. Earlier versions had a cam sensor issue, but that is resolved.

Good to know that the cam sensor issue is resolved. I did remember reading about this earlier, but was not sure if it was resolved or not.

Originally Posted by Jaggu

You mention 1 Ton load carrying, none of the white board vehicles will be legal to do that as per KA RTO. So you are left with no choice but yellow boards.

Once you are ok with yellow board, my choice would be M&M Bolero camper is another good choice (availability of service and parts, abuse friendly), Isuzu second (due to service reach at this point of time) and then Tata as product preference.

Isn't Imperio a better option than Bolero Camper, if one is OK with yellow board?

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

In West Bengal, Bolero Camper can be registered as private vehicle, but one cannot carry 1 ton load with private number plate as far as I know. Please get the necessary information from RTO in your in your area before investing. If white number plate is absolutely necessary, I would go for Tata Xenon 3.0 litre or the Mahindra Bolero Pickup in that order.

Thanks BlackPearl. I am not very familiar with the regulations around commercial vehicles. I will try to talk to the RTO officials regarding this. I am worried about:
1. What does it mean to the driver? Apart from obtaining the Commercial License, are there any other regulations such as working hours, salary, etc?
2. What does it mean from the taxes perspective? I know that the road tax is substantially lesser when compared to the life time tax that we pay for the pvt vehicle, but, for a commercial vehicle there is some sort of a tax that needs to be paid every year?
3. What does it mean from a day to day experience? Police target the commercial vehicles routinely. What is it that they look for? What should be taken care of to ensure that I do not pay the fines (or grease the hands) every time the vehicle is stopped?
4. I hear that the Fitness Certificate must be renewed every year, post the first 3 years of ownership. Is this too much of a hassle?

[IshaanIan]

I am not well versed with the technicalities and clauses of owning a commercial vehicle but when it comes strictly to choosing a car, I'd say the Isuzu D-Max. Don't let the lack of service network worry you. Apart from offering more civilized utilitarian vehicles, Isuzu is best known for their reliability. They manufacture these cars with heavy localization as well afaik so parts should not be an issue either. Isuzu's don't come with random odd quality niggles or issues. They are easy vehicles to work on and fix.

[rdst_1]

Please also check whether the lower priced D-max comes with the same engine as the V-cross or not. There were rumors that with the launch of V-cross, the D-max will get a lower tune (72-73bhp), no intercooler engine.

[B_T]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I am not well versed with the technicalities and clauses of owning a commercial vehicle but when it comes strictly to choosing a car, I'd say the Isuzu D-Max. Don't let the lack of service network worry you. Apart from offering more civilized utilitarian vehicles, Isuzu is best known for their reliability. They manufacture these cars with heavy localization as well afaik so parts should not be an issue either. Isuzu's don't come with random odd quality niggles or issues. They are easy vehicles to work on and fix.

There shouldn't be any seconds thoughts about the reliability of Isuzus. Two things still keeping me away from them:
1. Yellow Board
2. The D-Max Crew Cab (not V-Cross) will be a stripped down version from the current D-Max specs. It will be 80bhp. Am not sure about the rest of the specs, but the SA said that it will be a stripped down version.

The current D-Max was fun to drive and was a workhorse. Not sure about this with the newer D-Max Crew Cab.

[abhishek46]

Hi B_T,

Why are you shy of the yellow board? Any particular reason?

Bolero Pick-up is the most popular in the segment. It is hardy, cheap to maintain and has good resale value also.
It's NVH is also somewhat better than Tata Xenon with 3.0 engine.

D-Max is great. But how many do you see on the road? Services, spares and resale might be a problem.

[B_T]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Hi B_T,

Why are you shy of the yellow board? Any particular reason?

Bolero Pick-up is the most popular in the segment. It is hardy, cheap to maintain and has good resale value also.
It's NVH is also somewhat better than Tata Xenon with 3.0 engine.

D-Max is great. But how many do you see on the road? Services, spares and resale might be a problem.

Hi Abhishek. I guess it is just something that is playing on my mind, right now. Without any facts! Hence will be talking to the RTO folks soon to understand what it really means to own and live with an yellow board. If I am convinced that an yellow board is OK, then it opens up a lot more options !!

BTW, just heard that the D-Max Space Cab has been discontinued. The D-Max Crew Cab display vehicle will be available in the Marathalli showroom in a week or two.

[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Hi B_T,

Why are you shy of the yellow board? Any particular reason?

Hi Abhishek,

One of the main reasons to shy away from the yellow board will be how the police\RTO guys treats the yellow board vs while board vehicles. I have seen many times the Police\RTO guys are much aggressive and abusive towards yellow board drivers than to private board drivers.

I have seen this differential treatment near Forum, at Kudlugate signal, at erstwhile doddanakundi signal and at many other places. While the Police guys are almost always polite to a white board driver, the treatment turns 360 degrees when it is mated out to a yellow board driver.

If B_T is planning to drive the cab by himself, it will save him lot of hassle if he gets a while board.

--Anoop

[jeepster]

Originally Posted by B_T

What my needs are:
1. must be able to haul a payload of atleast 1 tonne comfortably.
2. must be able to register as a pvt vehicle. As am not very sure about what it means for a commercial vehicle (rules around licensing, taxes, fitness certificate y-o-y?), i am not very keen to go with one and deal with the cops routinely.
3. will be mostly used in Bangalore and outskirts of Bangalore - occasionally driven to other states - Kerala, TN, Goa, Andhra.
4. must be atmost 9Lakhs on-road in Bangalore.
5. It will be 2 persons in it most of the times, but need to seat 4, apart from the driver, at times. Definitely looking for a 5 seater.
6. not too keen about a 4x4 as the farm is not in an area that mandates 4x4 and am not going for any off-roading with it.
7. it will definitely not be used to haul manure. But definitely need a separate cabin - as it will keep the insects and dirt away from the cabin. Mentioned this, as i was also considering Bolero XL plus and Force cruiser as options.


Tata Xenon Crew Cab (3.0 Ltr):

Liked it. Ride comfort is ok at best, but it will not kill you anytime soon. Can be registered as pvt vehicle. There is a AMC offer which is going on, which will essentially mean that you pay almost nothing for car service for 2 years/50K kms. Apart from this, SA offered another 30K cash discount. People, is this the best that is possible? Anyone else heard/got better offers. Please let me know, would help in getting better discounts.

My choice Tata Xenon with BEDLINER.

I am a happy owner of Xenon XT & have carried 800kg ~1T pay load many times like cement, sand, tiles, stone gravel. (small distance)

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Why are you shy of the yellow board? Any particular reason?

1. Higher toll on highways.
2. Random TRO check at various naka's/check points where they collect donations from commercial vehicles.
3. toll to enter ARMY camp areas (saw in pune)

[abhishek46]

Thanks guys for the explanations.
However, may I point out a few things:
1. The initial road tax and other things are less for a yellow plate. Subsequently, every year some tax needs to be paid.
So, if someone wants to dispose the vehocle after 5years, will the overall cost be cheaper?
2. Carrying commercial cargo regularly on a passenger vehicle - Will it not attract the same RTO at the naka?

[jeepster]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

1. The initial road tax and other things are less for a yellow plate. Subsequently, every year some tax needs to be paid.
So, if someone wants to dispose the vehocle after 5years, will the overall cost be cheaper?

2. Carrying commercial cargo regularly on a passenger vehicle - Will it not attract the same RTO at the naka?

• Commercial vehicles have lower resale value.

• Its a pickup truck, isnt it ?
  Legally xenon xt has 260 kg & xenon dicor has 1T payload capacity, but usually they ignore white board vehicles unless overloaded. (my experience)

[B_T]

Thank you all for the insights and informative discussions. I finally did what I do most of the times - went with what the heart said and bought an Isuzu D-Max Space Cab.

Now, trying to get hold of a dealer who can source the bed-liner and the canopy for this. The rear bumper as well.

Any help regarding this will be much appreciated.