UD Trucks Launches Croner To Help Customers Maximize Productivity
Developed for growth markets, UD Trucks’ all-new medium duty truck range delivers a wide range of customizable configurations for extra productivity and superior uptime
Ageo, Japan – March 1, 2017 – UD Trucks today launched Croner, an all-new medium duty truck, to continue its rich Japanese legacy of building the “truck that the world needs today” specifically for its growth markets across Asia, Africa, Middle-East and South America.
Making the best of your time
Croner is a reliable and versatile truck range built with robust and quality components delivering extra productivity and superior uptime. By understanding customers’ demand and business needs, Croner is engineered to help customers stay ahead of competition, through the simple concept of saving time.
“UD Trucks believes that more time spent on the road and less time in the workshop adds up to the success of our customers’ business. It is our aim for Croner to make every moment count, through maximizing productivity and minimizing downtime on every run our customers make,” said Jacques Michel, President, Volvo Group Trucks Asia & JVs Sales.
“The superiority of Croner comes from the best of three worlds – UD Trucks’ strong Japanese heritage and craftsmanship, Volvo Group’s global technology and sourcing, and local manufacturing and customer support. 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,” said Jacques.
Going the extra mile
Named after the god of time in Greek mythology, Croner is designed to excel in the medium duty segment to compete in growth markets.
Croner has options for three gross vehicle weight (GVW) models: MKE, LKE and PKE; and their wheelbase variants, which can offer up to 21 different basic configurations to suit specific demands of various industries. Additionally, the air suspension on all variants is available as an option to protect customers’ cargo especially when travelling on rough road conditions.
“As drivers spend a good amount of time on the road, we at UD Trucks leaves 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,” said Nobuhiko Kishi, Senior Vice President, Brand and Product, UD Trucks.
“As for drivability, Croner’s 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,” added Kishi.
According to Kishi, Croner’s superior uptime stems from its reliability due to robust components such as its driveline and new chassis frame that are more durable and allow for longer time between scheduled service intervals.
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 utilizes 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 percent,” said Kishi.
“Going the Extra Mile” is the brand promise of UD Trucks with a focus on fuel efficiency, uptime, reliability and drivability, while meeting today’s high standards for safety and environment, allowing UD Trucks to provide customers with the best products and services in the market to meet their business needs.
Extra Mile Support services
UD Trucks takes pride in its comprehensive set of UD Extra Mile Support services, such as UD Genuine Service and Parts, UD Driver Training, and UD Trust Service Agreements. These were developed to ensure its trucks such as Croner run and remain in optimum condition to go the extra mile, saving minutes, hours, and days over the years.
In addition to its Extra Mile Support, UD Trucks also offers professional telematics solution that provides customers with real time information and reports to improve their fleets’ operation. By connecting its trucks to the UD workshops, UD Trucks enables proactive and continuous workshop support to its customers.
The production of Croner will be done in UD Trucks Bangkok Factory in Bang Na, Thailand. Units made will be sold locally to the Thai market as well as exported out to other growth markets in Asia, Africa, Middle-East and South America.
