Ashok Leyland will produce Nissan NV200 under own brand

It looks like the Nissan NV200 is quickly "spreading its seeds" around the world. Following the announcement that GM will sell a rebadged NV200 as a 2015 Chevrolet City Express, the Japanese van will also be the basis of a new vehicle for the Indian market called the Ashok Leyland Stile. Part of the Hinduja Group, Ashok Leyland developed the vehicle together with the Nissan Motor Company in a joint venture. It will be built by Nissan at its Oragadam plant near Chennai, India. Offered as a 7 or 8 seater model, the Stile features a slightly different design than the Nissan NV200 – which is also sold in India as a Nissan Evalia. The van has a different fascia with completely new headlights and grille, while at the rear, there’s an identical third brake indicator and similar taillights. On the inside, the Ashok Leyland Stile boasts a familiar interior. The van is powered by Renault-Nissan’s 1.5-liter diesel engine developing 75 horsepower and 185 Nm (136 lb-ft) of torque. The detuned unit is linked to a five-speed manual gearbox. The Stile will also be offered as a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) model.