Hindustan Motors has launched a BS-IV compliant 1.5 litre diesel Ambassador for the ‘no-refusal’ taxi segment, priced at Rs 4,97,996 (ex-showroom Kolkata). Bookings for the vehicle named Ambassador Encore are already open. HM’s move comes as the West Bengal government recently issued 2000 permits for the no-refusal taxi segment, with another set of 2000 permits likely to be issued in November. The company is expecting to capture a good share of sales from these lots, and will even offer a handsome reduction on the announced price for replacement taxi buyers. “The company made significant investment in terms of money and man hours to upgrade its BS III 1.5-litre diesel engine to BS IV standards and OBD 2 level. Yet it has chosen not to pass on the expenditure to customers. Through value engineering and cost-efficient manufacturing, HM is able to offer Ambassador Encore at this amazingly low price without any compromise on quality,” said Uttam Bose, Managing Director & CEO, Hindustan Motors. The Ambassador Encore will allow Hindustan Motors once again sell the car in the 17 metropolitan cities where BS-III cars have been banned since April 2010. The company expects a surge in demand for the Encore for which it is ramping up production at its Uttarpara plant in Hooghly.