Summarize

UD Trucks rolled out a trucking double-whammy Wednesday, when it announced two significant new trucks at the top and the bottom of its South African range, revealing the high tech new Quester heavy duty lorry, at the same time as pulling the cover off its new light to medium Kuzer truck, with which the Japanese truck maker intends to claw back market leadership it relinquished after it left that niche eight years ago.

The Kuzer is a significant new arrival to the South African light to medium trucking market - UD has been absent from that sector, which it dominated since merging with Volvo Trucks, but the company is now confident that it has a perfect answer to the under-9-tonne market in Kuzer, which has been specifically developed and engineered to satisfy most demanding SA market needs.

New Kuzer is lighter, more powerful, swifter, fully connected and economical; boasts a large and comfortable new cab sporting UD’s latest hexagon style and is designed to deliver the ultimate short-haul and city delivery solution backed by UD telematics and the full range of support. Powered by a potent, yet frugal new four-valve per cylinder turbodiesel engine driving a six-speed manual gearbox ready to run on any route from the smoothest freeway to the dusty farm road, Kuzer is engineered to accept a broad range of custom load bodies to suit myriad trucking needs in a cost-effective, capable and efficient light truck.

The Quester is not new to South Africa, but UD has now completely re-engineered its long haul and heavy duty range to not only deliver a more powerful, better connected and more efficient truck, but the one tonne lighter behemoth is also aimed squarely at delivering optimum fleet owner bang for buck. Now packing UD’s ESCOT and Allison automated transmissions to deliver up to 10% better fuel consumption, mated to a range of 8 and 11-litre engines delivering up to 440 horsepower, Quester is backed by full UD telematics including Geofencing to best control drivers, routes and productivity.

Available in a broad range of 6x4 and 8x4 truck-tractors, construction trucks and long-haul lorries, Quester can be specced up to a tonne lighter than before through both a lighter, more robust emgineering and a range of either standard or optional lightweight components from aluminium wheels to long-range fuel tanks and more. Boasting a bigger, more spacious and more luxurious cabin, Quester’s ESCOT transmission also makes for an easier to drive truck to allow any driver to achieve optimum transport efficiency.

Kuzer and Quester are backed by UD’s full range of warranty, service and back-up options to suit a broad ambit of transport needs and industries. Watch this space for an in-depth look into both trucks soon.