Capital Equipment News July 2017

TRANSPORT

GOING THE EXTRA MILE Versatility is right up on the checklist of most truck owners, and the new UD Croner, now available in the local market, goes the extra mile with its 13 variants and 21 customisable configurations to maximise adaptability across a number of applications, writes Munesu Shoko .

T ruck operators often base their new vehicle selection on several common factors ranging from fuel economy, total cost of ownership through to performance. Notably, versatility has become a key driver of buying decisions as a go-anywhere truck is regarded as a boon in any fleet owner’s stable. Launched internationally earlier this year, the new UD Croner, a heavy commercial vehicle, replaces UD Trucks Condor in a market segment dubbed the “bread and butter” of the local commercial vehicle market. The Condor was discontinued earlier this year after serving the local market with ultimate dependability for many years. UD Trucks Southern Africa introduced the new Croner to its local customers at a glamorous event held at the Kyalami Racecourse last month. To be assembled locally at UD’s

long way in adding up to the success of our customers’ businesses,” says Swanepoel. “By understanding customers’ specific requirements and business needs, Croner is engineered to help fleet owners stay ahead of competition through the simple concept of saving time,” he adds. Highly adaptable One of the key advantages of the Croner is the fact that it can be adapted for any heavy-duty role with an array of wheelbase selections to deliver greater productivity. There are six basic wheelbase choices ranging from 3 3 750 mm to 6 000 mm available for 9,5 t, 12 t, 14 t, 15 t or 17 t GVW variants. Longer wheel base choice of 6 500 mm is also available for 15 t and 17 t GVW variants, according to Toshi Odawara, vice president of Product Management at UD Trucks.

Rossyln, Pretoria plant, the new Croner is specifically developed for UD Trucks’ growth markets, and will be introduced to UD Trucks Southern Africa’s other markets in the SEA region later this year. Speaking of the truck’s value proposition, Jacques Michel, senior vice president of Group Trucks Asia, says the new UD Croner – named after God of time in Greek mythology – was developed with versatility in mind. It comes in three gross vehicle weight (GVW) models – MKE, LKE and PKE – and their 13 variants can offer up to 21 different basic configurations to suit specific needs of various industries. Gert Swanepoel, MD of UD Trucks South- ern Africa, adds that Croner is a versatile truck designed and engineered to help cus- tomers save time and money. “We believe that the more time the Croner spends on the road and less in the workshop, goes a

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JULY 2017 24