UD Trucks has re-entered the commuter bus market with the all-new UD Croner Bus, which comes in two variants: a commuter bus (PKE 280) and a rural bus (LKE 210). With today's launch in KwaZulu Natal, Durban, the UD Croner Bus will provide much-needed solutions to the African market as it seeks to improve commuter experience.
Since 1935, UD Trucks has challenged the status quo in the transport industry. Our founder Kenzo Adachi sought out to build the trucks the world needs today. More than 80 years later, UD Trucks still pursues its founder's vision, which is to make modern transport solutions.
"The growing demand for sustainable and comfortable travel options has been a significant development over the past few years. The Croner Bus is the perfect answer to Africa's need for an economical, sustainable ride that will reduce carbon footprint," said Jacques Michel, Senior Vice President, UD Trucks International Sales.
The evolution of the UD Bus range
In Southern Africa, UD Trucks has manufactured trucks for more than 60 years, through the company's manufacturing plant located in Rosslyn. In addition to truck manufacturing, UD Trucks has made buses since the 1970s with the first CB20 model. This was followed by the CB30 in the 1980s and the
UD60 and UD100 models in the 1990s.
Connecting people to opportunities
“It is an exciting time for our organization, a new chapter,” says Filip van den Heede, Managing Director, UD Trucks Southern Africa. “We are proud to extend our Croner product line into the bus market while still maintaining the same quality, architectural design, and reliability.”
Filip Van den Heede further elaborates that, re-entering the bus market is part of UD Trucks Southern Africa’s product diversification plan and aligns with the organizations Better Life strategy (www.udtrucks.com/southafrica/about-us/sustainability/strategy)1.
The UD Croner Bus connects rural communities with economic hubs, workers with the workplace, in summary commuters with their destinations, enhancing people's lives. Moreover, the Croner Bus features USB ports on all seats to accommodate commuters' desire to stay connected whilst on the move.
Incorporating the same design philosophy as the UD Croner truck
Both the PKE 280 and LKE 210 buses are based on the same architecture as the South African medium duty leader, UD Trucks Croner. As such, they are engineered to ensure quality, durability, and fuel efficiency. The Croner Bus PKE 280 can comfortably seat 65 and 10 standing passengers offering a reliable, economical and comfortable urban transportation both to remote rural areas and to urban centers throughout Africa. This variant is powered by a D8A280 engine that meets Euro III and Euro V emissions standards while also being fuel-efficient and equipped with high capacity.
Croner Bus LKE 210 and LKE 240 can accommodate 40 passengers in seating and 12 standing. The D5A210 and D5A240 Euro V engines in this variety deliver excellent torque even at low speeds. “Considering African transport infrastructure challenges, these features will result in rapid response and smooth driving properties, which makes the UD Croner Bus a more fuel-efficient choice,” commented Rory Schulz, Sales Director, UD Trucks Southern Africa. Croner goes the extra mile to meet today's business and environmental challenges.
The expansion of UD Trucks transportation solutions into the African market in particular is expected to improve efficiency and accessibility and, at the same time, reduce environmental, social, and economic costs for commuters. With Euro 5 and Selective Catalyst Reduction (SCR), it addresses safer environmental challenges while meeting current market demands.
A complete solution that combines safety, drivability, productivity, and uptime
Croner Bus design prioritizes passenger safety and comfort among other critical features. For improved safety and visibility, bus entrances are illuminated to enhance commuter safety.
Providing support for standing passengers and preventing them from falling while the bus is in motion with full-length handrails enhances the ergonomic features and safety of the bus. As well as the driver's seat belt, each unprotected seat has a lap-type safety belt to protect against sudden stops or collisions.
PKE 280 (air sus) buses come with an electronically controlled air suspension system that is designed to improve driving comfort, contributing to better vehicle ergonomics. On the move, the system automatically controls chassis height and compensates for uneven weight distribution to ensure the bus is balanced.
Based on a Croner chassis with a high front and rear axle rating, the PKE 280 is a lightweight but durable vehicle. Because of the reduction in chassis and bus weight, the bus can carry high loads of luggage inside and outside the coach. The increased carrying capacity of the bus enables the customer to carry more load thus maximizing productivity.
As part of our vehicle health monitoring feature, UD Telematics has been implemented, which comprises customer and dealer telematics and displays all critical alerts from our buses. In this manner, the vehicle is brought to the workshop in time to ensure maximum customer uptime.
All these features make the Croner Bus range an excellent choice for anyone who cares about their community and passengers alike. A responsible corporate citizen, UD Trucks supports economic development by providing a transportation solution that connects people on the move to opportunities every day.
UD Trucks is committed to Better Life - to make life better for people and the planet through sustainable transport solutions.
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1.UD Trucks (www.udtrucks.com/southafrica/about-us/sustainability/strategy)
UD Trucks Southern Africa
Through the years, UD Trucks SA has been contributing to poverty alleviation within communities it operates in as well as achieving other successes. Keno Adachi, our founder, leaves a legacy that runs deep in our culture, and the path he paved for our parent company in Japan to be able to support us and provide the solutions that were needed not only then, but are still relevant today.
-ENDS-
To learn more about our products and services, visit: https://www.udtrucks.com/southafrica
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For media enquiries, please contact:
Sanelisiwe Ngcobo,
Director, Marketing, UD Trucks Southern Africa
Email: sanelisiwe.ngcobo@udtrucks.com
UD Trucks is a leading Japanese commercial vehicle solutions provider, active in more than 60 countries on all continents. Since its inception in 1935, the company has been an innovation leader with a clear vision to provide the trucks and services the world needs today.
The company is committed to go the extra mile for smart logistics with the most dependable solutions for demanding customers. To best support across applications and geographies, UD Trucks offers a full range of heavy-duty trucks - Quon and Quester, medium duty trucks - Croner, and light-duty trucks -Kuzer, as well as associated operational and financial services.
UD Trucks is a proud member of Isuzu Group.
For more information from the UD Trucks, please visit https://www.udtrucks.com/southafrica
