The times right for UDs Croner
Volvos Far East subsidiary launches a new truck for a new economy
By Matthew Treanor
In 1935, the founder of UD Trucks (then called Nihan Diesel) Kenzo Adachi first coined what would become the companys mantra of building the truck that the world needs today and the company will be hoping that the affordable quality of its new medium duty truck, the Croner, will find a market in todays Middle East market.
Increased fuel prices and squeezes to operational margins are focussing the minds of many companies that work in or alongside the construction industry in the region. Consequently, capital expenses on new vehicles are getting tougher to justify. UD Trucks has spotted an opportunity at the non-premium end of the truck market and believes that its latest vehicle launch will attract the attention of contractors in the construction market that want reliability and durability on a cost-conscious buyers budget.
The medium-duty Croner is named after the Greek god of time Chronus, and both UD Trucks and Volvo are hoping that the trucks, well, time has come. Volvo has invested hundreds of millions of dollars, including a $60 million-plus injection to upgrade its manufacturing capacity in Thailand, since acquiring UD Trucks a decade ago. While the Swedish company is prepared to allow UD flexibility in terms of its development as a business it is encouraging a progressive approach to markets across Asia and Africa, as well as the Middle East.
The world is changing and weve recognised that we need to be adaptable but it is not only about adapting, we need to change, Jacques Michel, president, Volvo Group Trucks Asia & JVs Sales tells CBNME at the Croners official launch in Bangkok. Not only is the world changing, but the economy is changing; the regulations are changing; the transport industry is changing. So it is very important that we work with all the people that manage those changes and see how we can help our customers.
The past year has seen the introduction of the heavy duty Quester truck in the region. While he says the company has been pleased with the feedback of the truck, he suggests that its launch was regrettably late given that the truck had been in other markets since 2013. However he tells CBNME that this will not be the case for the Croner which launches with the full range available at the same time as other regions because of UDs strength in the segment here.
We have been in the medium duty segment for a long time but the backbone of international markets for UD is the Middle East and South Africa, adds Michel.
The Croner is an entirely new truck to replace the ageing Condor model, and is designed to compete in the medium duty segment against comparable recent vehicles from companies such as Hino and Isuzu within growth markets. The Croner has options at three gross vehicle weight (GVW) models from 11t up to 21t: the MKE, LKE and PKE; and their wheelbase variants. In total, 21 different basic configurations to suit specific demands of various industries are available. Additionally, air suspension on all variants is an option to protect customers cargo especially when travelling on rough road conditions.
Nobuhiko Kishi, senior vice president of UD Brand and Product, has worked on the Croner for six years and tells CBNME that the 11t LKE as either a tipper trailer or concrete mixer should be ideal for the region.
Its very compact, 4-cylinder but with a high gross vehicle weight, he says. Its an interesting combination that Japanese companies have not always had.
Kishi is clearly proud of the work that he and his team have put into the Croner. He argues that it offers the flexibility of smaller trucks with the strength of their big heavy duty cousins. Right down to the smallest parts, this is a truck designed to be reassuringly durable, he says.
After that you need to be able to meet customer expectations and thats why weve done a very strong field test of 1.4 million kilometres.
The extended field test, explains Kishi, has seen the truck take to the mountains of Peru, the difficult and often claustrophobic roads of Indonesia, as well as the deserts of the Middle East. It launches with UD confident it can deliver savings through running longer and with fewer problems than its older models and the competition.
If you take the engine it has a service interval that is double that of the Condor, interjects Michel. So instead of coming to the workshop every two months and you run the same way than you go every four months. And if you put that into a full year, the customer can run that truck for two weeks more.
According to Kishi, Croners improved uptime stems from its reliability due to robust components such as its driveline and new chassis frame that are more durable and allow for a longer time between scheduled service intervals.
I can say that we have carefully selected the components and although medium duty usage is less than heavy duty trucks we have tried to keep really good durability and quality, Kishi explains.
Fuel is a high expenditure for fleet owners considering the number of trucks and journey they make.
Croner is one of our most fuel efficient trucks ever. It utilises the fuel needed efficiently without waste, thanks to the new GHE engine series, automatic transmission, a built-in fuel couch, and a more aerodynamic cab which reduces the coefficient of drag (CD) more significantly by 5%, says Kishi.
According to the Volvo Group Trucks Asia president Jacques Michel, UD believes that more time spent on the road and less time in the workshop is advantageous for customers and for its own attempts to stand out from the competition.
It is our aim for Croner to make every moment count, through maximising productivity and minimising downtime on every run our customers make, says Michel.
He is reticent to share details on pricing although he suggests that the cost will be more than the outgoing Condor equivalent. However, he is confident that, ultimately, the Croner offers a better return on investment than its predecessor.
You have more technology on this truck but there is more added value for the customer. Yes, there is a bit more cost, but you are much more fuel efficient, says Michel. The price is just one part of it but it is not the most important thing for a customer that can get financing. Over five years, the price isnt the major impact, the most important impacts are the total cost of ownership and the running costs.
A concept called Gemba, which means place where value is created in Japanese, was repeated over and over to CBNME in Thailand. During development, teams of UD Trucks engineers and technicians scoured through data and customer feedback to understand how the trucks might be used and how business needs are changing. The final result from the pads in their Gemba is a truck engineered to help customers stay ahead of competition through the simple concept of saving time, says Michel.
Croner comes from the best of three worlds UD Trucks strong Japanese heritage and craftsmanship, Volvo Groups global technology and sourcing, and local manufacturing and customer support, he adds. Further to that, with UD Trucks Ultimate Dependability standard and Gemba spirit incorporated in every aspect, each component is the result of years of development and stringent stress testing a true testament to the Japanese hallmarks of quality.
Kishi adds: As drivers spend a good amount of time on the road, we at UD Trucks leave nothing to chance, and that includes safety and drivability. With superior braking and handling features, Croner keeps customers drivers and their fleets in prime condition.
As for drivability, Croners automatic transmission option can be crucial for markets like South Africa where it is facing serious driver shortage due to the strenuous demands on drivers, especially in long haul driving. Croner can help customers attract drivers as this option provides ease of drive and reduce fatigue for both experienced and inexperienced drivers.
Similarly, automatic transmission can be seen as a game changer for the truck industry in the Asia region as it helps lower cost and downtime, as manual transmission is more susceptible to wear-and-tear especially to its clutch in a long run.
Like many of the other members of the UD Trucks team CBNME met in Thailand, Kishi has a barely concealed joy for their new truck and its infectious.
I love trucks actually, he says. This is my second baby after the Quester.
How UD Trucks branding was turnaround
For most of its history, UD Trucks has been focused on producing trucks in Japan for the Japanese market, and on exporting from Japan to the rest of the world, says Magnus Ahlqwist, account director, Valentin&Byhr. While this has worked well for many years, the company now found itself in new markets, both in Asia and elsewhere.
Along with aggressive European and Japanese rivals, new low-cost competitors from China and India had also entered the picture. Customers suddenly had a whole new set of choices with a wider price range, performance and total cost of ownership. When Valentin&Byhr began to work with UD Trucks, the company had long been passive as a brand. Both market and confidence were low. When the Volvo Group acquired UD Trucks, they wanted to re-position the UD Trucks brand and boost it with brand new values.
Our job was to position UD Trucks as a value brand and at the same time catch the transport industry’s attention and imagination. We did it with the new brand promise “Going the extra mile” combined with an analogy about running. We used long distance runners to illustrate the trucks’ abilities to go further, things like robustness and modern smart technology. But also by showing how the UD Trucks people always make the extra effort to satisfy their customers. By using this human approach in an industry focused on technology, we differentiated UD Trucks from the competition.
UD Trucks driver efficiency tips
Did you know there are certain techniques you can adopt very easily that when added together could help you save up to 30% in fuel consumption? UD Trucks is currently developing driver-training courses in order to help improve your fuel economy. Until then, try to follow these few simple steps.
Planning your route
Remember, the shortest route is not necessarily the most fuel-efficient!
Scanning the road
- A driver who keeps his/her eyes continuously moving will anticipate danger much earlier!
- Look ahead as far as possible, see where the truck will be in 45 seconds
- Check your mirrors often
Keep moving
How much fuel does it take to move a loaded truck from a standstill to cruising speed? So if safe to do so, try to keep your mass rolling.
0-65km/h = 0.54 litre
25-65km/h = 0.42 litre
Rolling without resistance
Did you know you use 1% more fuel for every 10% that a tyre is under inflated?
- Tyre pressure has the greatest effect on rolling resistance
- So check your tire pressure regularly and always with a pressure gauge
