Delivery Magazine Issue 55 AUG-SEP 2014

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NISSAN’S

NEW NAVARA

PREVIEW

THAI DELIGHT THE 12TH GENERATION NAVARA PREVIEWS IN THAILAND, BUT IT WILL BE SIX MONTHS BEFORE IT ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA

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one are the days when Japanese manufacturers only produced their cars in Tokyo. Today it’s a case of finding lower cost manufacturing bases that can supply expanding markets, or, as is the case of Thailand, being able to supply the worlds largest buying public (per capita) of utes.

Thailand continues its love affair with the ute despite the recent upheaval in political terms that has hit the nation only 18 months after floods impacted on factories and houses alike. Over 40 percent of all vehicles sold onto the Thai market are utes.

From July 2011 to January 2012, Thailand encountered the worst flooding in five decades. The floods killed over 800 people and left millions homeless or displaced. Over three quarters of Thailand’s provinces were declared flood 14

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disaster zones, and the World Bank estimated that the economic loss exceeded $45 billion.

The Thai people have an amazing resilience to hardship, but the flooding was not the only disaster that impacted on vehicle manufacturing and production in the “Land of Smiles,” which is rapidly becoming known as the Detroit of Asia.

Political turmoil with a displaced government is also wreaking havoc of a different kind, and there’s every indication this insecurity could continue for a further 12 months.

Into this uncertain political climate the automotive industry has to establish stable and solid groundwork for vehicle manufacturing to continue. It does so because

THAI DELIGHT currently manufacturers such as Nissan, Holden, Isuzu, Mazda and Ford all pin their ute manufacturing to the Thai workforce and, subsequently, the Thai economy.

Without their manufacturing bases operating at close to full capacity in Thailand, none of the global manufacturers will be able to supply their markets.

Against this backdrop of current confusion, Nissan, Japan’s second largest auto manufacturer has launched its 12th Generation Navara. Called the NP300, it’s the natural progression for a model that has gained an excellent reputation through the years, and it’s backed

by Nissan’s 80 years of global pick-up truck know-how.

It will be built in a brand-new factory in Thailand that opened in July of this year.

The designers have styled the dashboard to feature a gentle sweep from the centre panel to the door side with three-dimensional rich sections in order to offer a feeling of spaciousness. In addition, the Nissan designers have styled the interior to represent a new quality benchmark in the segment, with finely designed gauges and a tactile steering wheel, as well as the use of an aluminium-like finish on the centre cluster and console as well as the finely crafted stitches on the seat.

Access and egress have been made easier, and the designers have focused on intuitive ergonomic design and use of high quality materials. The material selection and elaborate treatment such as double stitching fully express its high quality and sophistication.

The Nissan Navara NP300 is represented by a wide range of body types and powertrain options according to individual market demands, through narrow- and wide-body type, king and double-cab models, as well as all-wheel-drive and two-wheel-drive types.

“Since we built our first pick-up in 1933, over 14 million customers around the globe have come to depend on a Nissan pick-up to transport their families, work-mates and cargo, sometimes in the toughest of circumstances,” said Andy Palmer, Nissan’s Chief Planning Officer.

The Nissan design team headed by Mamoru Aoki focused on delivering a sportier and more emotional expression on the Navara, while maintaining Nissan’s

“Nissan pick-ups are often the lifeblood of their communities, and they need a broader range of abilities than almost any other vehicle. Engineering a good one

distinctive design DNA. The view from the side is marked by the smooth silhouette, thanks to the high beltline and blacked B-pillar, which lends the Navara a unique character.

isn’t easy, but, with the NP300 Navara, we’ve added to our accumulated 80 years of pick-up know-how, more comfort, convenience and SUV-inspired features, in order to build a great one.”

The door section combines a dynamic convex and concave surface with the massively sculpted bumper sections, and the Nissan signature ‘V-motion’ motif flows from the grille and into the hood through to the front bumper, giving a smooth and dynamic character line.

“The all-new Nissan NP300 Navara sets new benchmarks for performance, toughness, versatility and running costs; all the qualities that are critical for pick-up users,” added Mr. Palmer.

The visual appeal of the Navara is also enhanced thanks to the boomerang shaped lighting signature created with LED daytime-running lights that position the car visually on the road. Additional impact comes from the chrome waistline mouldings and turn indicators mounted in the door mirrors.

The dashboard sports multiple easy-to-read dials, plus a large centre console with a full array of intuitive features that combine with steering-wheel controls to enable easy and safe use while driving. Included are high-resolution colour TFT instrument displays with access to compass and turn-by-turn navigation support, fuel economy indicator, and audio track and radio content.

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TESTED

SURP MAHINDRA’S GENIO IS SURPRISINGLY DIFFERENT FROM THE COMPETITION

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s India starts to make its presence known in the Australian automotive market, it’s time to delve into the background of companies such as Mahindra. Having manufactured utes since 1947 when it made the Willys Jeep under licence, Mahindra today produces a wide range of vehicles covering motorcycles, passenger cars, utes, SUVs and commercial vehicles.

where, historically, it was necessary for a passenger to be able to wear a top hat. But, nonetheless, Australian buyers can confidently expect to be able to wear a turban, or certainly an Akubra.

In a world where most utes bear a remarkable similarity in appearance with each other, it’s rather pleasant to find one company that has started from scratch and designed a product that stands out from the crowd.

At first sight, the short stubby nose suggests that here is a ute with a transverse east/west mounted engine driving the front wheels. That’s actually not the case though, as this driveline is definitely north/south oriented.

At $19,990, the Mahindra Genio 2WD single cab comes complete with an alloy tray, all ready to start work.

On paper it’s got the appeal that comes with a relatively large tray, a capable four-cylinder diesel engine and a cabin with plenty of interior space. And it has one attribute that not many others can claim; it has what we can best describe as turban room.

It’s something that we at Delivery Magazine have never really contemplated before. But for a vehicle designed and built in India, there’s obviously a requirement to ensure that a driver or passenger wearing a turban is not going to suffer from having their head squashed into the roof lining.

Buyers of the Genio can be assured of what is a quite spectacular amount of headroom. Perhaps not as much as the original London Taxi had to provide,

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The cab design is strikingly different in that the ute has a snub nose and a short distance from windscreen to bumper. The bonnet slopes steeply downwards, and, consequently, vision to the front is extremely good.

SURPRISE PACKAGE

PRISE package It achieves enough space under the bonnet to accommodate the engine because the cab, especially for a 2WD, is mounted quite high off the chassis.

sensible positioning of the bulkhead there is more storage space behind the seats. A rather nice touch is the inclusion of a first-aid kit and a spare set of headlamp globes.

The cab interior is surprisingly spacious, with confortable twin bucket seats that provide good support and come with fold down centre armrests. As mentioned, there’s more than enough headroom, but there’s also enough leg room and width for larger than average people.

Each seat has storage underneath and there are cup or bottle holders in each door, plus two more in the centre console and a further one at the rear of the console.

Mahindra is growing its automotive business by establishing joint ventures with leading international companies. The four-cylinder diesel engine used in the Genio is from the mHawk family and results from a joint venture between Mahindra and Australian diesel powertrain specialists AVL, the world’s largest private and independent company for the development of powertrain systems.

The jack lives behind the seats on the floor section, and thanks to the

In 2011 Mahindra acquired South Korean automaker SsangYong, and in the higher weight categories of commercial vehicles Mahindra continues a joint venture with Navistar that was established earlier in 2005.

Commercial vehicle manufacturing operations are centred at Chakan, near Pune, in a purpose-built factory employing over 800 technicians and covering over 700 acres. If you include the company’s other manufacturing plants, Mahindra has a total automotive production capacity of 3.2 million vehicles per year.

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CHANGE T FEATURE

OF FORTUNE The mist of confusion starts to clear from Chinese and South Korean light commercials aiming at the Australian market.

he Chinese ute and truck manufacturers have certainly been experiencing a roller coaster ride when it comes to exporting their products to the Australian market.

In recent history we’ve seen the arrival of Great Wall, JAC, Foton Ute, Foton Truck, JAC Trucks and LDV vans. Each brand has experienced its highs and lows of acceptance into what is by comparison to China and Third World countries a very sophisticated market where entrylevel pricing is not the governing factor to sales success.

Also competitive with the Chinese products, but more readily accepted by Australian buyers, are products from South Korea. Thanks to the high sales volumes and premium quality of Kia and Hyundai car products, Australians embraced these brands more readily,

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but buyers still showed a degree of hesitancy in relation to purchasing its commercial vehicles.

Kia no longer imports the K2900 cabover light truck due, apparently, to the lack of a suitable Euro V engine.

Correspondingly, Hyundai has experienced continuing delays to the Euro V engined versions of its light truck range, but it now appears that supply restrictions have been solved and new models are on their way to dealerships after an absence from the market of over one year.

Another South Korean manufacturer that has experienced its ups and downs is that of SsangYong.

A change of distributor from Sime Darby to that of ATECO could change its fortunes, and it remains to be seen if this new focus can attract some more substantial support for the brand than it has experienced in its previous life.

CHANGE OF FORTUNE They come with a three-year/100,000 km warranty and a three-year/24-hour roadside assist support, and the maximum towing capacity is rated at a sensible 2,300 kg.

Staying with the ATECO stable, and a brief look at Chinese manufacturer Great Wall, illustrates what we mean by the assumption of some vehicle makers that low cost will win the day. Buyers of the early Great Wall products have found to their cost that a low initial purchase price translates to an almost zero re-sale value. There were also early reliability problems and slow supply of parts, especially those required by paint and panel shops that were trying to repair vehicles damaged in accidents.

In assuming responsibility for the importation, marketing and distribution of SsangYong products, ATECO has hoisted its colours to show a commitment to developing its light commercial vehicle portfolio.

SsangYong now settles into place amidst its ATECO bedfellows of Maserati and Lotus, joining the light commercial brands of Great Wall, Foton Truck, Foton Ute and the passenger car range of Chinese manufacturer Chery.

SsangYong’s Actyon ute is available in two trim levels, that of the Actyon Tradie and the Actyon SX. Both offer 4x2 as well as 4WD models and they share the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 114 kW of power at 4,000 rpm with peak torque of 260 Nm rated at 2,800 rpm.

Buyers of the Actyon 4x2 can choose between a sixspeed manual and automatic transmission, but while the manual 4x4 retains a six-speed gearbox, the automatic 4x4 drops back to a five-speed.

There are inherent safety advantages in selecting the SX, as this comes with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, Brake Assist, Active Rollover Protection and Hill Start Assist, all as standard. This list compares to that of the Tradie that doesn’t include any of these items, but does come with ABS, dual SRS airbags and seat belt pretensioners, which are common to both models. Buyers of the SX also benefit from cruise control.

Fuel economy is relatively good from the 2.0-litre diesel, and buyers can expect a combined consumption figure of around 7.3 l/100 km from the 4x2 manual and 7.4 l/100 km from the 4x4.

Where the Actyon does impress is in its ride quality.

Although it’s been some time since Delivery got behind the wheel of either the Tradie or the SX, we commented after our last stint that the double wishbone front suspension and coil sprung rear gave a well controlled and supple ride, better than many brands that use semi-elliptical rear leaf springs.

It says something for the acceptance of South Korean products, these days, that SsangYong is currently using a catchphrase of, “SsangYong – Boldly Korean”.

If you can cope with the name Great Wall, the actual vehicle itself is quite well appointed and suits a tradie that commutes short distances to work, leaving the ute parked up in the street whilst he supplies his labour on site. Driven regularly you’ll soon find you come to like the ute that doesn’t promise anything it can’t deliver.

It’s a little unfair to the brand that sales have plummeted, but, if there’s blame to be attached, in our view it’s due to the reliance on TV advertising that in most cases misses its target. With the plethora of channels available, either free-to-air or cable and satellite, there’s every likelihood that the sales message doesn’t cut through to the buyer.

If the target audience is the trade buyer, which is where we believe the volumes lie for Great Wall, then a TV ad campaign is not the answer. Word of mouth and personal recommendation are the keys here to getting the brand back on track.

The other Chinese brand to hit our market is Foton Ute, and this is a rather different kettle of Asian stew.

Rather than using an old design of four-cylinder diesel that owes its heritage to an outdated Mitsubishi engine, the Foton Ute starts of with the credibility of a genuine Cummins diesel under its bonnet, followed by a Getrag gearbox. Never mind that that these components are manufactured in China, the factories result from joint ventures with the original manufacturers in the United States and Germany and are equal to anything in Europe or North America.

Foton floated onto the Australian market through an early import deal arranged under Foton Automotive Australia (FAA), a totally independent Australian-owned business operated by Queensland entrepreneurs the Phelan family.

One can only imagine the problems encountered by what was at the time a relatively small import concern when it came to negotiating strength and communication with the parent company back in China.

After a short relationship, the responsibility for Foton Ute has switched to niche automotive importers, ATECO, and once again it’s business as usual.

Whereas the original FAA product line-up expanded into single and dual cabs, utes and trays, ATECO has scaled back the product line up to simplify selection and to ease supply to the existing dealership group, which is expected to hit 30 outlets.

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AUSSIE

PROFILE

KNOW-HOW

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AUSSIE KNOW-HOW

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hances are that you can make pretty much anything these days, anywhere in the world.

But when it comes to guaranteeing quality, professionalism and a lifetime warranty, you’ll soon find the options dwindle rapidly.

There’s many a company that has bought an imported product manufactured with the belief that the build quality would match local expectations. Likewise, there are some very disappointed buyers out there who have realised they effectively wasted their time and money when working with the final product.

Helen Clark, Brett and Debbie Pareezer (front row) with Adrian Pareezer and William Pedley (L-R rear).

Back in 1998, Brett and Debbie Pareezer realised that van and ute buyers were becoming more discerning when it came to customising the interior load areas of their vehicle, whether it is for standard shelving systems or extensive specialised fit-out to contain tools or components.

At that time alot of storage and racking systems available were either manufactured in Europe and imported at significant cost, or sourced from countries where quality was a major issue.

“We founded Vehicle Accessory Specialists to provide high quality accessories such as cargo barriers, canopies, bull bars, roof racks and nudge bars. Other equipment available from Vehicle Accessory Specialists also includes custom made draw systems,” said Brett.

Van Shelving Systems provides a complete answer to organising the interior of your van or ute. And it’s all Australian.

“Our knowledge of the industry soon led us to expand into supplying storage and racking solutions, and that led us to design, develop and manufacture our own brand called Van Shelving Systems.

“As a boilermaker by trade and coming from a design and manufacturing background, I knew that we could design and produce superior products than those available on the Australian market. We have created an extensive range, which will cater for both vans and utes.

“Under the Van Shelving Systems' brand, ongoing research and development is a major part of our business, creating our shelving and mounting system around all various makes and models of vans. All our steel is sourced within Australia from BlueScope Steel or BHP, and we then powdercoat the steel to provide a uniform smart and corrosion or damage-resistant appearance,” said Brett.

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BRAND FEATURE

NEW DAY

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AFTER A SLOW START, FOTON TRUCKS IN AUSTRALIA IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Trying to bring a new brand onto the market is sometimes not as easy as might at first be thought.

The Foton Truck brand was first previewed back at the last Brisbane Truck Show in 2012, but after a slight fanfare everything went a bit quiet.

Rumour had it that the importer, ATECO, had expressed concerns with the manufacturer in China that final assembly quality wasn’t to the expected standard and that higher sign off quality levels needed to be implemented. Some internal management changes at ATECO also slowed down progress.

Nearly two years later, and for Foton it’s seemingly a different scenario, with a revitalised product of higher quality and an Australian truck man in the shape of ex-Hino marketing executive, Alex Stewart, heading the operation. There’s also been an expansion of the product range,

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with ATECO adding the sales and distribution operation relating to the Foton Tunland Ute to its portfolio.

Delivery Magazine caught up with Alex Stewart together with Issy Gispan, Foton Truck sales manager for dealership MacArthur Foton in Campbelltown, to discuss just how the initial hurdles had been overcome.

“To come into a new brand we have had to look at the whole supply chain. There were already established processes in place with the dealer network, but, because we now have trucks as part of that portfolio, the more specialised nature of the customer relationship, service and aftersales support, sales training for knowledge all need to come into play,” said Alex Stewart.

“To take someone in a dealership from the car or passenger and light commercial side of the business and fit them into the light-duty end of the truck business does require an induction. It does require a range of product knowledge and sales training that has to go along with it.

The whole supply chain process has had to be looked at,” added Alex.

The aim is for 30 Foton Truck dealerships spread across the country, and currently the distributor has signed up 22 dedicated truck dealers and around 25 dealerships for the Tunland Ute products. Towards the end of the year the importer hopes to add a further six outlets.

The second half of this year will see rationalisation with the dealer network but still the need to grow it and develop its reach across the country.

“Primarily, it is intended to have Foton light commercials alongside the trucks in the dealership, where it makes sense. Obviously there will be some exceptions because of premises or location, or just the way that business is being done. But primarily we need to have the brand under the same umbrella. It makes sense logistically,” said Alex.

BRAND NEW DAY On the question of product range, the Foton Truck cab is available in two different sizes – the first being of standard dimensions and with a subsequent wider cab version.

There is a marketing advantage of a standard width or narrow cab that comes from a demand for that size of vehicle, whether in a metropolitan operation or just in general usage.

“People still see the standard-cab vehicle as suitable and necessary for the job, especially where access down laneways such as a concreter or landscaper,” said Alex.

“The body is not generally the same width as with the wider-cab version, for that same reason. The regulations limit maximum tray or body width to 2.5 m, but it would be very rare to find that width of body on a standard-cab vehicle. You would move them into a wide-cab version, leaving the 2.2 m width for the standard cab. We have two different alloy trays to suit those requirements,” said Alex.

There’s a big market in this light-duty truck segment for a full automatic, and Foton in China is currently evaluating options using a full-fluid torque converter type transmission supplied by Alison. This is a project that Allison and Foton have been working on in China and it is anticipated that availability could be signed off for entry into the market in 2015. The same timeframe applies with factory-bodied tippers with several options already under development.

It will be an interesting marketing exercise to monitor the acceptance of Chinese vehicles into the Australian marketplace after

some significant setbacks for first of the manufacturers to test our market, such as JAC. This was a product that despite having strong credentials in the Chinese domestic market, the lack of sophistication that could tailor it to the Australian market killed the brand entry almost coincidentally at the same time as it launched.

“From the car side of the business, obviously the transition from Japanese product and through the early introduction of Korean product we have seen the continuous improvement of vehicles and fit and finish of both country’s products,” said Alex.

“The car buyer looks at the Chinese products and sees the same potential as they did when they saw the Korean or Japanese product. I believe the Chinese product is better in its first evolution than the other manufacturers were in their first evolution.

“The truck side is a little bit different, as there has never been a lot of other foreign manufacturers in this market.

There have been other Korean and Chinese attempts at this market, but they didn’t get very far.

“You are coming into a domestic market dominated by the Japanese, but that doesn’t mean you can’t present the brand and create the right level of customer expectation.

The products require different expectations from those of Japanese products, and that brand value proposition highlights there is a reason why they are less expensive.

That’s not to say it’s a lesser vehicle, it comes down to how you promote that product,” added Alex.

The current engine exhaust emissions levels of the Cummins 2.8-litre engine used in the Tunland Ute is Euro IV compliant, while the ratings of the 2.8 and 3.8-litre engines fitted in the Foton truck derivatives are rated at Euro V emissions standards.

“The fact that all the engine range is manufactured by Foton Cummins in Beijing means the upgrade to Euro V for the Tunland is really only a question of timing. They are not the same engine in its full specification, but, as far as when they will align, we would look to Foton and legislation in Australia to set the timing,” added Alex.

Issy Gispan is sales manager for Macarthur Foton Truck and Ute, a new dealership at 29 Blaxlands Road, Campbelltown, which is a division of the Clintons Group.

Issy is certainly enthusiastic about the product and sees it as an exciting challenge to introduce the brand to a new audience.

“Since I started with them about one year ago, I can see the potential. People originally had resistance, but now it’s less and less noticeable. Now they don’t buy one, they buy four. You can see them getting more confidence, especially when they know the background of Foton in China,” said Issy.

“I see the potential also because they come at a special introductory pricing. There really is nothing better in the market unless you want to pay $15,000 to $20,000 more.

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FEATURE

THE

BIG VAN

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Just where is the market headed when it comes to the large van market?

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t the large end of the van market there’s a battle developing as the main contenders jockey for position against each other. Not only is the competition intense, it will be getting more so as the months pan out towards 2015 and the introduction by IVECO of its latest Daily range.

Next year holds more surprises in this highly interesting market segment as Fiat, Ford and Renault will all be launching upgrades, each designed to make the respective brands more appealing.

Renault is the brand that has been making marketing hay while the summer sun shone. Sales of the Master have risen by 47 percent within the past 12 months (V-Facts YTD June 30), and with a new model on the horizon it should only get better. With 6.7 percent market share in this segment there’s room for the brand to improve.

German van maker Mercedes-Benz does have its new model here on sale, and that has resulted in movement of its sales performance up the charts, growing share by 20 percent over the past 12 months (V-Facts YTD June 30), to hold 19.2 percent of market share.

Fiat has managed to launch its new version of the Ducato onto the European market and at the same time it’s managed to increase its sales performance by 14.6 percent over the corresponding same period of last year (V-Facts YTD June 30). Its sales topped out at the end of the financial year with 566 units, up 72 sales to take just 8.6 percent market share.

In amongst the winners there are always losers, and here the buck stops with the blue oval badge of Ford. If there’s a fault at Ford it’s not the vehicle, even the old outgoing Transit model is not a bad buy. The reason why Ford is faring so poorly in the sales of its light commercial vehicles is a lack of focus (no pun intended).

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It’s old versus new for the Ford Transit while Mercedes-Benz sales soar.

The marketing gurus at Ford who deal in light commercials remind us at Delivery of the Blue Man Group cabaret act. If you look hard you can see them, but, as they don’t speak to anyone, there’s every chance you won’t know they exist.

The new Transit should rate its hubcaps off when it finally makes it to the Australian market. When that might be of course is anyone’s guess at present.

So, let’s make some subjective decisions about whether a large van is the right solution for you.

If you are looking to transport cargo, don’t want to load it onto a tray and then have to worry about tarps, don’t want something that looks like a truck such as a curtainsider, and are on the lookout for a car-like drive, then a van is the right solution.

THE BIG VAN MAN If you value safety and want the highest levels of technology available then look no further than MercedesBenz. The Sprinter is a consistent winner of the Delivery Magazine Van of the Year Award and it achieves that goal for the plethora of safety inclusions that come with the brand.

Pretty much all the safety features available on the Mercedes-Benz car range can be included in the van models. Add to that the availability of an excellent seven-speed automatic transmission and the driveability, low fuel consumption and low interior noise levels that also feature strongly, and you are starting your selection process from a very strong base.

The Volkswagen Crafter may look pretty much identical with the Sprinter, but looks can be deceiving. Up until now, both the Crafter and Sprinter have shared the same production line as a cooperative venture. Apart from the different badges front and rear, MercedesBenz slotted in its engines and transmissions into the Sprinter and Volkswagen fitted its own engines and gearboxes to the Crafter.

Unfortunately for VW, it hasn’t had a suitable torque converter automatic transmission or an AMT, and that’s meant manual gearboxes.

Production for Crafter is slated to shift to Poland, where VW makes the Caddy van. If our information is correct, once the new factory is up and running Crafter may be offering an eight-speed ZF transmission as an option.

IVECO’s Daily is amply discussed elsewhere in this issue, so we will simply suggest that if you are intending to buy in the first quarter of 2015 then wait and try the all-new Daily. Delivery Magazine’s first introduction to the all-new line-up showed this is going to be very competitive. If there’s an Achilles heal in the marketing of the Daily, it’s the restriction of availability from high street dealerships. You have to find an IVECO truck dealership to place your order.

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PREVIEW

DAILY NEWS IVECO brings a totally new line-up of its Daily van, light truck and people mover range to the world stage.

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new product launch is always exciting, and when it comes from IVECO there’s always the suggestion that there’s more to the story than first thought. That was certainly the case when IVECO recently lifted the wraps off the extensive model range in a private briefing in Turin, followed by a short drive evaluation programme at the giant Balocco proving ground operated by Fiat on behalf of all the group brands.

Before drilling down into the differences of the new products, it’s important to look in detail at the corporate structure that now underpins the IVECO brand, especially for those in the Australian market with long memories about the company’s links to the International

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Truck marque. For those with even longer memories, it also signifies the creation of IVECO in 1975, which was developed from the merging of brands that included FIAT, OM, Lancia, Magirus, UNIC and others.

These days, the controlling structure of the brands such as IVECO, Magirus, IVECO Bus, IVECO ASTRA, IVECO Defence Vehicles, Heuliez Bus, New Holland Agriculture, Case Agriculture, Steyr, Case Construction and New Holland Construction starts with a complete oversight since 2013 by CNH Industrial (Case New Holland Industrial). There is commonality throughout the group when it comes to engine development and supply, and this brings in the additional corporate division of FPT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies).

DAILY NEWS

From a global perspective IVECO employs over 27,000 personnel, manages 22 production sites in 11 countries throughout Europe, Asia, Oceania and Latin America and supports these activities through sales and service outlets in over 160 countries.

Shift the focus from global coverage to that of the Asia Pacific Region responsible for the Australian market, and CNH Industrial operates in 13 countries through more than 2,000 dealers and importers with over 5,000 sales points. In maintaining the necessary APAC reach the company has 12 joint ventures and employs more than 5000 direct personnel.

In the emerging automotive industry of China the IVECO presence started in 1985 when it developed the first joint venture (JV) between China and a Western manufacturer in the area of commercial vehicles. This JV subsequently developed into IVECO being the first Western brand to export from China. The JVs established in China produced synergies such as the acquisition of Hongyan with SAIC and Chongong heavy machinery, and the establishment of NAVECO for light and medium-duty trucks. In 2000 IVECO also moved into the Brazilian market to develop its presence in South America.

In 2013 IVECO global production exceeded 290,000 units, of which 122,000 were produced directly by IVECO and the remaining 171,000 units through the corporate joint venture partnerships. Global revenues for 2013 amounted to US $11.5 billion.

Engine technology and supply is sourced through Fiat PowerTrain for all divisions operating under the CNH umbrella.

The emergence of joint venture associations at this stage does not impact on the Australian market, and, when concentrating on the commercial vehicle segment the revenue from the different weight categories, sees a market split in favour of medium commercial vehicles of 13 percent, light commercial vehicles of 30 percent, special-purpose vehicles of 9 percent, 15 percent buses and 33 percent heavy commercial vehicles.

Daily is undoubtedly important to IVECO as its major global vehicle offering. Distributed in 110 countries, total sales in Europe have now exceeded a total of 2,090,000 units, with an additional 420,000 in China and 90,000 in Latin America to top out total sales worldwide of 2,600,000 units.

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FEATURE

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gradual rise of Hino trucks into the Australian market has been interesting, given that it’s been a relatively slow process to gain market share. If anything, the development of the Hino range in our market shows that success does not come overnight, especially with trucks, something that the Chinese manufacturers might well bear in mind as they target Australia and New Zealand.

hybrids, converting the energy of vehicle deceleration into electrical energy and storing it in batteries. During acceleration, the electric motor assists the diesel engine, thereby reducing smoke and other emissions.

Backed by the technology and infrastructure available from its parent company, Toyota, the Hino brand was probably better known in its earlier days some 25 years ago for its bus chassis, regularly enabling the company to claim market leadership of the Australian private bus sector. This was also where development work began on hybrid drive systems, with the Hino HIMR actively running in Japanese bus fleets well before anyone thought about applying the technology to the passenger car market.

Hybrid technology and CNG, LNG or Bio-Fuel acceptance would be greatly influenced if Government adopted a supportive stance, providing incentives for its adoption in line with those available in Europe. As long as that option remains off the Federal Government agenda the Australian market will be buying diesel. With new high performance power offerings, Hino is hoping that its latest carrot provides enough incentive for the company to substantially increase its market share.

The HIMR project centred on the first large diesel/ electric hybrid bus in the world to use an inverter-controlled motor generator to reduce fuel consumption and pollution.

The principal of HIMR (Hybrid Inverter-controlled Motor and Retarder) is similar to that of Toyota’s Prius and Camry

As Hino’s Chairman and CEO, Steve Lotter, told Delivery Magazine, the release of the latest Hino 300 Series high horsepower models is part of a plan to top out the year with upwards of 150 different chassis derivatives of the range available on the Australian market.

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That principle is slightly different these days, as when compared with the latest Hino hybrid drives the electric motor actually powers the truck away from stationary, with the diesel then kicking in subsequently. The use of the electric motor to move the truck away from rest substantially extends clutch life in real world applications.

Electric drive assistance is also a great benefit where the terrain is very hilly, as acceleration is much superior to a diesel-only engine drivetrain.

ON A MISSION “As well as announcing eight new high horsepower 300 series models we are adding ten further models in the medium-duty range as we progress through the year,” said Mr. Lotter.

“Considering the total truck market is around 25,000 units per year, the plethora or trucks available is incredible. We are working to plug the gaps in the range to cover all requirements.

“Throughout 2013, Isuzu was the market leader with Hino second in the market for 4x2. We see the new 300-Series high horsepower truck in the 6.5 tonnes to 9.5 tonnes GVM weight range as being ideal for customers looking for the 3 to 4-tonne payload capability.

“If we analyse the 8 to 9-tonne GVM from 2008-2013 its anywhere from 700 to 1000 trucks. This segment looks as though it will improve in 2014.

“In 2016 we believe the market share target will be looking at 45 percent for Isuzu, with Hino at 35 percent and Fuso down to 20 percent. We are looking to take from both competitors in this segment.

“We have faith in this vehicle and the doors it can open. As a result of consolidating our product offering, Hino can now offer the highest performance levels less than 10.4 tonnes GVM, with eight percent more power and 18 percent more torque than the nearest competitor.

Senior executives from Hino outlined the benefits of the latest high horsepower 300 Series with Bill Gillespie Divisional Manager Brand and Franchise Development (top), Steve Lotter CEO and Chairman (centre) and Daniel Petrovsky Product Strategy Manager (left).

ON A MISSION HINO IS CLEAR IT WANTS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN MARKET SHARE DELIVERY

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BY NUMBERS Isuzu’s continuing market leadership for 25 years is underpinned by a great depth of engineering knowledge – Dave Whyte drives the NLR and NQR

T

he long-held position of market leader is something that Isuzu is rightly very proud. When you consider how things have changed in the 25 years they have occupied the top spot, it is nothing short of remarkable. But for all of the things that have changed, a few have remained the same, and this is where the strength in the brand lies – the customer knows what to expect from their purchase. The current NQR and NPR models may have plenty of new technology on board, but the basic driving experience still has that familiarity that comes with all Isuzu trucks.

The Isuzu NLR is powered by a 3.0-litre four-cylinder engine that provides 110 kW (147 Hp) and 375 Nm (275 lb-ft) of torque. While it’s only a small engine, it does still use some of the technology more commonly attributed to larger diesel engines, most notable being the exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF).

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The power output is quite adequate for the 4.5 tonnes GVM, making it easy to keep up with traffic with the five-speed manual gearbox providing a good spread of ratios, whether you are in the city traffic or on the highway. The urban environment is where the NLR seems to shine brightest, with an easy-moving gearshift and good acceleration providing a pleasant driving experience around town. An automated manual (AMT) option is available.

STRENGTH BY NUMBERS

There is no mistaking the Japanese influence on the inside of the cab. The dashboard is low set, with all controls in easy reach, and easily identified. The first thing that struck me about the NLR was just how narrow the cab was.

This does have obvious benefits in tight metropolitan environments or for garden supply operators, but presents a problem for those looking to fit three grown men inside.

The outside passenger seat is standard size, but the centre seat seems quite tight, and has the gear shift to contend with for space.

Mind you, there are other models in the Isuzu line-up to counter this issue. It also seems a little odd that this narrow-cab model had a full width tray fitted, negating any benefits of the narrow cab. This posed a problem for rearward vision also, as the front of the tray took up half of the mirror on each side.

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