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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
APRIL 2017
14
TRANSPORT
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
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
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.
BRIDGING
THE GAP
The new UD Croner heavy commercial vehicle
is unveiled at a glamorous global launch in
Bangkok, Thailand.