The trucks are designed for the harsh operating conditions of developing countries.
UD Trucks has been active in Latin America for approximately 50 years. UD Trucks rolled out sales of its heavy-duty Quester and its new medium-duty Croner model in the four Latin American markets of Ecuador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Trinidad and Tobago. The Quester and Croner offer a greater range of variants and options than existing models. The range is specifically built to endure the harsh environment of high altitude and many unsurfaced roads. The company’s heavy-duty models are widely deployed in road construction, infrastructure and other public projects, and occupy a large share of the market for mixers and tippers used in transporting natural resources. The Quester users a new rivetless frame and high-durability hub reduction, meeting the needs of local customers who demand high operational and economic performance.
Another addition to UD Trucks’ line-up is the GKE Tractor, which meets the needs of medium, long haul and inter-city transport of natural resources. The range of Gross Vehicle Weight options, previously 11 tons and 17 tons, has been expanded with the new Croner adding 13-ton LKE and 15-ton PKE versions. It also offers a wider choice of engine sizes and other options.
UD Trucks subjected Quester and Croner to rigorous high-altitude performance testing before introducing them to the market, including road testing for endurance at an altitude of 5,000 meters in Peru. Accordingly, all models are available in both right and left-hand drive.
In Bolivia the launch announcement was held simultaneously with the inauguration ceremony of a training center at the Santa Cruz-based company NIBOL Ltda. The facility is the first authorized training center of UD Trucks to be established inside an overseas distributor. It will start training drivers from 2018 and will also serve as a training hub for the neighbouring markets. Source