Hindustan Motors Ambassador is a car that needs no introduction. It was one of the first cars made in India. Over the decades, Hindustan Motors offered the Ambassador in different versions, and it was also used by several government officials. It was once considered a status symbol and was used by several senior political leaders. We all know that HM had to shut its operations in 2014 due to low sales and demand. In 2003, HM launched a different-looking version of the Ambassador to gain buyers’ attention. It was called Avigo, and here we have a detailed walkaround video of the same.
The video has been shared by Wheelocity on their YouTube channel. In this video, the vlogger talks about this rare cousin of the Hindustan Ambassador – Avigo. It is a rare model because it was in production for a very short span of time. HM Ambassadors were slowly losing the attention they had from buyers. This was mainly because of competition.
Brands like Maruti, Hyundai, and even Japanese car manufacturers like Honda and Toyota were offering premium sedans in the market at a lower price than the Ambassador. The manufacturer approached DC and asked them to design a modern-looking version of the Ambassador sedan. The project was assigned to a senior designer at DC, Manvendra Singh.
He took inspiration from several Italian and European cars that were present in the market and designed the Avigo. The bonnet, front grille, and headlamps on the Avigo are different from the regular sedan. The round headlamps are slightly tilted, and the front grille also has a curved design.
There are no character lines on the bonnet, and the wheels on this version were also different. The Avigo got alloy wheels, while the older versions were offered with steel rims. As we move to the rear, you notice a trim on the tailgate that extends to the tail lamps. The tail lights are also clear lens units, and the design of the tail lamp is slightly different from the regular Ambassador sedan.
The main aim with the Avigo was to make it look more premium and attract buyers. However, this is not how things worked out. This was probably one of the least favorite Ambassadors among buyers. People did not like the fact that DC had changed the conventional look or character of the car. This is why HM had to stop production of the Avigo within 3-4 years after it was introduced. After this, the HM Ambassador Grand was launched, and this was also the last generation Ambassador that we ever got.
The Avigo was offered with both petrol and diesel engine options. The car seen here is the 2.0-liter diesel engine version with a manual transmission. The dashboard design of the Avigo was also different from the older Ambassadors.
It had a round instrument cluster in the center with a small digital meter with odometer readings and trip info. The round AC vents, fabric seats, rear seats with a center armrest, and a reading lamp were all offered to make the car look premium.
The post Closer Look At The Avigo – The Rare Cousin Of The Hindustan Ambassador [Video] first appeared on Cartoq.
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