The Daewoo Novus was a heavy truck built by Daewoo’s commercial vehicle division in South Korea. When Tata Motors bought that division it took the Novus as its starting point, and in December 2005 launched the Tata Novus, the first heavy commercial vehicle from an Indian manufacturer with 300 horsepower.
Daewoo Novus at a glance
| Type | heavy commercial truck |
|---|---|
| Maker | Daewoo commercial vehicle division, South Korea |
| Indian version | Tata Novus, launched December 2005 |
| Indian engine | Cummins C8.3-300, Bharat Stage III |
| Indian power | 300 hp (220 kW) |
| Indian gearbox | fully synchronised, 10 forward and 2 reverse gears |
| Korean engines | Cummins ISM 440, or IVECO FPT Cursor 11 420 on newer models |
| Bought by | Tata Motors, which acquired Daewoo’s truck unit |
The English Wikipedia article describes the Tata version of the Daewoo Novus. Based on one source.
History of the Daewoo Novus
A Korean heavy truck
The Novus was one of the heavy trucks of Daewoo’s commercial vehicle business, the part of the group that built lorries rather than cars. It remained on sale in South Korea, where newer versions used the Cummins ISM 440 or the IVECO FPT Cursor 11 420 engine.
Tata takes over
Tata Motors bought Daewoo’s truck manufacturing unit and the Tata Novus was its first new offering from that acquisition, based directly on the Daewoo Novus sold in Korea. It was launched in December 2005 and made Tata Motors the first Indian manufacturer to offer 300 horsepower heavy commercial vehicles.
The Indian specification
The Tata version was powered by a Cummins C8.3-300 engine meeting the Bharat Stage III emission standard, driving through a fully synchronised gearbox with ten forward and two reverse gears.
Design and features
- Heavy-duty basis: a Daewoo lorry design carried over to India without a wholesale redesign.
- 300 horsepower: the Tata version was India’s first 300 hp heavy commercial vehicle.
- Long gearbox: ten forward speeds and two reverse in the Indian truck.
- Two engine suppliers in Korea: Cummins and IVECO FPT units in later models.
Daewoo Novus versions
- Daewoo Novus: the Korean truck, later with Cummins ISM 440 or IVECO FPT Cursor 11 420 engines.
- Tata Novus (2005): the Indian version with the Cummins C8.3-300.
The Novus was the heavy end of Daewoo’s commercial range, above the Lublin van, while the buses came from the same division. More are in the Daewoo collection.
Sources
- Tata Novus, English Wikipedia: Tata acquisition, launch, engines
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