Priced at around Rs 38 lakh, the truck models will initially include the Volvo FM7 range of rigid trippers and concrete mixers. With over 230 long-haul FH12 and medium-heavy FL7 range of trucks already on the India roads, Volvo expects to sell around 150 new concept trucks in the year 2000.

With the launch of the permanent service centre in Delhi -- after Bangalore's Rs 40 million service centre -- Volvo now has nine regions supported by Volvo service and parts centres in addition to two regions supported by Volvo's mobile workshops. Spread over 2.5 acre, the Delhi workshop can address 300 trucks in two shifts.

These investments in the permanent service centres are in addition to its investment of Rs 20 million in driver training centres and Rs 15 million in container workshops. The service network includes mobile workshops, modular workshops and also permanent workshops.

Describing Volvo's approach to customer care, Parkkinen said: ``Our service initiatives are centered around Volvo Preventive Maintenance, which is akin to aircraft maintenance. It is proactive under the objective that a Volvo must not have an unplanned stop during its normal operation. A Volvo does not need a workshop every 100 km.''

In the 14 months of effective support in India between June 1998 and August 1999, Volvo claims to have worked hard to benchmark on service performance. In all, 577 drivers have been trained so far both for customers and from the open market. Average downtime for vehicles attended by Volvo Action Service as of August 1999 is said to be less than 20.5 hours. 80 per cent of vehicles undergoing maintenance at Volvo Service and parts Centre were back on the road the same day. Moreover, in terms of overall spare parts availability the rate was 88 per cent while for fast moving parts it was around 99 per cent.

Said Anton Freiesleben, vice-president, marketing: ``Nearly 75 per cent of Volvo customers place repeat orders.'' With after-sales service plans in place, Volvo will launch a major ad campaign in February 2000 for FM7 8x4 Concrete Mixers and FM7 8x4 Tipper. The thrust of Volvo's communication drive for the 8x4 concept will be to establish its superiority versus 4x2 hauler in terms of 30 per cent reduction in fuel consumption; 10 to 20 per cent saving on transport cost per tonne-km; ability to carry 100 per cent more load and also the power to move four times more material per day; and 60-80 per cent reduced emissions due to Euro-II engine.