Capital Equipment News April 2017

TRANSPORT

The new UD Croner heavy commercial vehicle is unveiled at a glamorous global launch in Bangkok, Thailand.

BRIDGING THE GAP

T he discontinuation of UD Trucks’ Condor in South Africa in 2015, after having served the local market with ultimate dependability for many years, left a product gap in the heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) segment for both UD loyalists and UD Trucks Southern Africa. The product void in the HCV segment, which Rory Schulz, marketing director of UD Trucks Southern Africa, terms the “bread and butter” of the industry, also negatively impacted on UD Trucks Southern Africa’s total unit sales in 2016. Despite a -10,1% decline in 2016, the HCV segment still contributed the most sales with a total of 12 853 sold in South

UD Trucks’ Croner, an all-new heavy commercial vehicle, has rolled off the production line to bridge the product gap created by the discontinuation of the Condor. Munesu Shoko attended the global launch in Thailand and filed this report.

Africa. UD’s current offering in this market segment will be phased out in June this year, ahead of the local official launch of the Croner. Armed with a new product, UD Trucks Southern Africa expects to significantly increase its traction in the HCV category this year. The company sold a total of 1 118 HCV units last year, representing an 8,9% share of this market segment. Earlier this year, Gert Swanepoel, newly- appointed MD of UD Trucks Southern Africa,

was upbeat about 2017, especially on the product front, with several new launches expected to arrive to close product gaps in some of the lucrative market segments such as the HCV. The wait is nearly over. Having been unveiled globally at a glamorous international launch event in Thailand in March this year, the new UD Croner – named after God of time in Greek mythology – is expected to hit the South African shores

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