[anjan_c2007]

The Oka from HM was based on a minibus body for which the tools were imported from Austrailia. The engine and gearbox were of the ISZ 2000 that HM was already manufacturing.The Oka was introduced by HM with this combination but did not sell too well and I am not sure as to whether its still being sold or has been discontinued.
I had sighted some Oka school buses in Delhi and a few here and there but the overall sales were nothing to be proud of for HM.
Today I came across an Oka ambulance that has been bought by one of my acquaintances. The ground clearance is higher than many MUV's and the body is perched very high. The suspension is with leaf springs and shock absorbers on two dead axles (front and rear) and so it might not be such a comfy minibus.
The engine has been mounted just a little behind the front axle.Though it has a front grille, the engine cooling is a bit problematic as I could learn due to the air blast being limited by virtue of the radiator's location.
Most of the spares used are from the Ambassador's bin as the dash meters, RVM, warning light console and steering indicates. The door handles are also Ambyish.But as you may observe,the rear differential looks different and is in all probability Australian as are the front axle and suspensions.
Will post more technical specifications sometime soon.

[SirAlec]

CNG based are very common in Delhi. They are commonly called RTV

[wanderernomad]

I remember when it was first launched the HM people used to drive over specially made tracks to show what it was capable of. Good one for our rural roads or even the Agra _Mumbai NH especially between Gwalior and Sivpuri, lol.

[anjan_c2007]

SirAlec its news that the Oka is still common on Delhi roads.
I am sorry, the Oka is a rear wheel drive and so the front axle is a dead one -not two as I have wrongfully mentioned in the text of the first post.

[DWind]

Is'nt the differential of limited slip type? I thought this was the first offered in the country.

[samarth.bhatia]

This vehicle is indeed much visible in Delhi and called the RTV.
It's common to find these being run under the Kilometer scheme as public tranport mini buses in Delhi. This despite the fact that a lot of these have over turned because of sheer reckless driving. Usually known to have happened when the drivers took sharp turns at high speed. The private operators add a higher roof to enable people to stand inside (read. overload the vehicle).
I have traveled along the Nehru Place to Apollo Hospital route on these many a times, and can vouch for the highly uncomfortable rides of these mini buses. That, along with these being very loud inside, and the driver gunning the engine while racing with the other such public buses run by private operators (RTVs, Bluelines, etc.) made one hell of an experience. I'm thankfully to God to be still alive.
Cheery on the cake: These are indeed used as school buses as well.
Not nice at all.

Cheers and drive safe.
Sam

[tsk13]

RTV is the abbreviation for Rural Transport Vehicle and if I'm not mistaken, Delhi Government has cracked down on them heavily. Can someone confirm this?

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

I am sorry, the Oka is a rear wheel drive and so the front axle is a dead one -not two as I have wrongfully mentioned in the text of the first post.

Wasn't there an optional 4x4 version? What engine does this use?

Damn, look that that ground clearance, that approach angle? India's very own Unimog!!

[smsrini]

the original OKA is indeed a 4x4 AT vehicle, with much larger tyres.. I guess HM only got the chassis / body work and deployed their own drivetrain..


http://www.oka.com.au/

[sudev]

The radiator placement picture itself answers why this would over heat. No air flow planning at all. RTV drivers in Delhi are worse than Blue-line bus drivers.

[pjbiju]

RTV - Rural Transport Vehicle. A no-frills rural carrier.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by Mpower

Wasn't there an optional 4x4 version? What engine does this use?

Damn, look that that ground clearance, that approach angle? India's very own Unimog!!

HM to the best of my knowledge did not offer a 4X4 version.I will try and post the technical specifications soon.
This uses the 2000cc Izusu diesel that the diesel Ambys (Avigo etc) use-not the 1500DSL that Amby taxis commonly use.
The high ground clearance is this RTV's USP. Its build quality is also quite robust, but for the usual HM gremlins. HM could have cashed upon the unique points of this RTV and marketed it well. Even a 4X4 version as you could judge would have worked wonders for this one's sales in the rural areas.
But as fellow members here say its very uncomfortable- the leaf springs appear to be the causative factor. Also the ground clearance must be affecting its dynamics. So a bit of recklessness would cause it to topple.
The noisy engine can be attributed to bad maintenance. The ISZ 2000 D though now outdated, is much more modern than the 1500DSL HM uses in its Rs 4.5 L taxis.The diesel engine fuel pumps have to be calibrated regularly and so also the engine maintained well. Bus drivers never do so and hence the noise, pollution and more.

[SirAlec]

Originally Posted by smsrini

the original OKA is indeed a 4x4 AT vehicle, with much larger tyres.. I guess HM only got the chassis / body work and deployed their own drivetrain..


4x4 Trucks, 4x4 Buses, 4WD Manufacturers, Off Road Utility Vehicles, Off Road Trucks Perth, Western Australia - OKA

OT
I checked the website. It shows OKA has tie up with Asok Leyland. ?

[smsrini]

Originally Posted by SirAlec

OT
I checked the website. It shows OKA has tie up with Asok Leyland. ?

On the contrary, my understanding was that they sell/service AL vehicles there in AU.

[anjan_c2007]

Coming back to the HM Oka, the original MOU between HM and OKA Motor Company Australia to manufacture the Rough Terrain Vehicle (RTV) was signed on 20/12/1994.The agreement was also meant to develop a lower capacity RTV that would use HM sourced aggregates for the Indian and international markets.The Oka was supposed to provide an incredibly strong body shell that was sturdy on crash and roll over protection.
The ladder frame chassis is rigid with straight parallel rails provided a flat bed for mounting of non flat implements.
The original Oka for Australia (4X4) came with a power steering and the Perkins turbo charged 3990 cc engine (called Phaser, approved as per UK defence standards 05-21, one of the toughest in the world)/ Direct Injection four cyl inline TC diesel / 110 bhp @2800 rpm being the specifications. The load capacity for the rear axle was 3100Kg while that of the front axle it was 2400 Kg.
HM preferred to fit the 1995 cc/ 4 cyl inline 52 bhp/ 5 speed Isuzu diesel to the Indian Oka that came in our markets some time in 1995, I believe.
(data source Auto India)