Turkish truckmaker looking to challenge in new markets

By Colin Windell 

BMC, the Turkish truckmaker is looking to extend its global footprint with the recently launched Tuğra range of trucks.

Turkish truckmaker BMC launches Tuğra for world market

Turkish truckmaker BMC is looking to gain new footholds in international markets with its recently launched Tuğra family of trucks covering long-haul to construction applications.

Since 1964 BMC has been one of Turkey’s largest manufacturers of commercial and military vehicles,  and the new truck family comes thanks to the intensive R&D, engineering and manufacturing processes carried out during the past four years.

If the name BMC seems familiar – the company was founded in 1964 in partnership with the UK's British Motor Corporation handling Austin trucks. It was taken over by Çukurova Holding of Turkey in 1989, and seized by the Turkish government's TMSF in 2013. It was then sold to Turkish company ES Mali Yatırım ve Danismanlik.

According to the company the development process has resulted in a truck range that provides low fuel consumption with maximum engine power at every load with its efficient engine-gearbox integration and lightened chassis structure - translating into a wallet-friendly solution for its users together with cost-effective spare parts, optimised maintenance intervals and low operation cost in the overall.

Taha Yasin Öztürk, Member of the BMC Board of Management, said at the launch: The meaning of Tuğra refers to ‘The Seal of the Emperor’ in the Oghuz language and ‘The seal of the Sultan in Ottoman.

“For us Tuğra is BMC's new signature on the roads. As a result of our rigorous R&D activities, BMC Tuğra is the representative of a modern urban identity. At the same time, having combined our design expertise for over half a century and the technology in our DNA, we brought a new dimension to the world of commercial vehicles.

“With its ergonomic design, Tuğra promises a warm living space and comfortable driving, especially on the long distance journeys. With its contemporary console design, full TFT display, Bluetooth and navigation features in 7-inch multimedia, large-volume in-cab storage areas, multifunctional driver's seat, refrigerator, beds, multifunctional steering wheel and custom designed interior lighting; BMC Tuğra, is on duty for day and night.”

Occupying a total area of 250000 square meters in Pınarbaşı Plant, BMC manufactures buses for public transportation, heavy weight trucks for transportation and logistics industry together with the tactical armored vehicles for the defence industry.

The brand’s bus, Neocity, won the Busworld Awards for ‘Best Design’ in 2017.