Capital Equipment News August 2019

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

A newly-delivered fleet of Scania’s NTG range.

Scania’s NTG gains early traction

Equally excited about the arrival of the NTG are local customers, and the rapid uptake of the new range and an order book that is fast filling up is testimony to the positive response to the new vehicle. Several Scania regional managers tell Capital Equipment News that the interest in the vehicle is beyond expectations, and the feedback thus far has been nothing but positive. As a result, Scania South Africa expects to surpass its sales projections for the year, while gaining slight growth in market share. This is despite the generally challenging nature of the truck market. Key markets thus far Michael Schoeman, Regional Sales Manager – Gauteng North Region at Scania South Africa, says long haul has accounted for the majority of the initial sales in the region, and surprisingly followed by construction, a market that is generally in the doldrums across South Africa. “Long haul currently accounts for 70-80%

Following the launch of Scania’s New Truck Generation (NTG) at the end of May this year, there has been a rapid uptake of the new range across all regions of South Africa and export markets. The positive customer feedback thus far is largely driven by the vehicle’s fuel efficiency and driver comfort, among an array of other features and benefits, writes Munesu Shoko .

T he arrival of the NTG in May this year ushered in a new era, not only for Scania South Africa, but more so for Scania customers who had patiently waited for the arrival of the new vehicle in the local market following its official introduction overseas in August 2016. Delivery of the new trucks began immediately after the launch event. Several demos have also been allocated to several customers and the feedback thus far has been very positive, with fuel efficiency and driver comfort at the centre of talking points. At the launch, Raimo Lehtiö, MD of Scania Southern Africa, noted that it’s normally a “15 to 20-year cycle before you go to market with a totally new vehicle” and it was an exciting period for the company to be able to offer its customers a new vehicle. Henrik Henriksson, President and CEO of Scania, was equally excited to present “products and services that will bring Scania to new levels regarding market shares and carry us far into the next decade”.

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