UD Trucks extends Croner range

Significantly, the Croner is now also competing in the extra-heavy commercial vehicle segment (previously it only operated in the heavy commercial vehicle segment). The trucks are assembled at UD Trucks’ plant in Rosslyn, Gauteng.

Great news for transport operators

Rory Schulz, UD Trucks Southern Africa’s marketing and sales director, says that the new trucks are great news for transport operators. “It is a well-known fact that applies locally and internationally in the transport business: if you are a true professional who is well tuned to the top-of-mind awareness of your clients, you will realise that every moment counts. Time equals money, productivity and efficiency. That is why we, as UD Trucks Southern Africa, are proud to introduce two new variants to our popular Croner range,” he enthuses.

Filip Van den Heede, managing director of UD Trucks Southern Africa, is equally enthusiastic. “As part of UD Trucks’ continuous ambition to fulfil customer needs, we are proud to expand the Croner range with two new variants, bringing in an enhanced range of solutions to meet additional applications. With these additions, we are improving our offerings in distribution in the urban context but also in the intercity application. We are improving payload, fuel efficiency and driver comfort and extending the service intervals. We are also supporting the customers with UD Telematics 24-hour roadside support.

“When we launched the Croner range, we wanted to offer trucks and solutions that maximise uptime and productivity. Every moment counts! These new additions to the Croner family are no exception to this,” he maintains.

So, what’s the big deal about these new trucks and what specific benefits do they offer transport operators? Let’s kick off with the Croner LKE 210 freight carrier …

Croner LKE 210

The LKE 210 is a freight carrier, which is powered by the GH5, a 5-litre engine that is matched to an Allison 2500 series automatic transmission. “It boasts optimised combustion, a flat torque curve and a wide green band to ensure good fuel efficiency. This is furthermore reinforced by the unique mapping of the automatic Allison transmission for economy,” notes Schulz.

The LKE 210 freight carrier will operate in the eight-ton payload segment in the heavy commercial vehicle market.

“The 8 to 9 tonne payload segment is extremely competitive, and, after extensive research, we saw the need for a fuel-efficient high payload unit with good driveability but most importantly, good value for money. Hence, the curtain is raised on our LKE 15t 210hp truck to address this requirement head-on. We are proud to say it’s a winner in the distribution of goods spectrum,” he points out.

Geoff Kruger, product manager UD Trucks Southern Africa, explains that the truck boasts an improved front axle rating (from 5 tonnes up to 5.5 tonnes). “There is a wheelbase refinement from 5.25 metres up to 5.5 metres. This improves the overall weight distribution. There is also an overall improvement of the payload productivity,” he points out.

 

Croner PKE 280

The second newcomer to the range, the PKE 280, is a 4x2 truck tractor that is powered by the GH8, an 8-litre engine that is matched to an Allison 3000 automatic transmission. It is ideal for urban and city-to-city distribution, as well as inter-regional haulage.

Schulz explains that it was introduced after UD Trucks noticed that many freight carriers were being converted into truck tractors. “That is why we decided to introduce a unit specified as a bona fide truck tractor produced to our highest standards in our assembly plant in Rosslyn. We have seen a need for a lightweight truck tractor operating a semi-trailer in the field of distribution from warehouses to depots to outlet stores – both intercity as well as in the urban industrial areas of our cities.”

Duncan Lebogang, product support engineer at UD Trucks, points out that the work a vehicle does, and the resources required to do it are essential to the success of any fleet. “Productivity means how much payload a vehicle can carry – at the highest possible speed with as little fuel as possible. The Croner truck tractor has 1050 Nm of torque to ensure that it can maintain a higher average speed. We have designed the vehicle to operate at an average speed as close as possible to 60 km mark in the city and the 80 km mark on the highway to ensure that operators can complete more trips in a day. It has a GCM of 32 t and a tare weight of 5560 kg to ensure maximum payload for customers,” he reveals.

Schulz says the PKE 280 truck tractor will challenge perceptions of just what is possible in the segment – especially when it comes to fuel efficiency. “The GH8 engine with optimised combustion and a flat torque curve offers a wide green band to ensure good fuel efficiency. Added to this there is an onboard fuel coaching system to assist the driver to get the best performance out of the truck. Telematics ensure that fleet managers get an accurate record of the vehicle’s operational routes and vital statistics. This is further supported by an optimised driveline with the Allison 3000 transmission and a 5.57 diff ratio,” he notes.

The suspension of the PKE 280 truck tractor incorporates mechanical springs with shock absorbers. This improves driver comfort while reducing driver fatigue. The vehicle’s suspension also includes front shock absorbers and threaded bushings for improved service life, superior comfort and handling. It has a Jake Brake type engine brake, which is aimed at improving the overall braking performance of the vehicle. This truck tractor also boasts a heavy-duty rear axle, which features a single reduction hypoid gear with robustly dimensioned gears, shafts, and bearings for good strength and quiet operation.

 

Delight for drivers

Both of the new trucks are set to delight drivers. They are very easy to enter or exit, which is very good news for drivers who are constantly hopping in and out of the cab. Air-conditioning and an air suspended driver’s seat are standard on both models. Plus, the cabs boast an ergonomic design, with all the controls easily accessible and lots of storage space. We reckon that drivers will love the automatic transmissions too; constantly changing gears in the traffic is a pain.

So, there you have it: two new trucks that are efficient, economical and driver-friendly too. We look forward to test driving them soon.