Tough Hide: The New Rhino for India

At the New Delhi Auto Expo, International Cars & Motors unveiled its new Rhino. The utility vehicle may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it promises to be tough-skinned enough to handle the challenging roads of India.

International Cars & Motors (ICML) is a subsidiary of Sonalika Group, the third biggest manufacturer in India. Sonalika teamed up with MG Rover to develop the Rhino before the British carmaker went bust.

The Rhino is of very simple but sturdy construction, intended to be used in India and Pan-Asian countries where suitable roads are scarce, which explains why Toyota's similar Qualis has ruled for years. Toyota recently switched to marketing a more upmarket product, the Kijang Innova minivan, leaving a gap that so far had only been filled by Tata.

ICML hopes to sell 5,000 to 6,000 Rhinos this year.
Source: © edmunds.com