A great year ahead

Hino SA has made an excellent start to 2013, with sales in the first quarter up significantly when compared to the same period last year – when, admittedly, there were stock shortages of the new 300-Series.

Hino’s sales jumped from 868, in the period from January to March in 2012, to 1 046 in the first three months of 2013 – a rise of 20,5 percent compared to a rise of only 1,2 percent in the overall truck market in South Africa during this period.

Dr Casper Kruger, vice president of Hino SA, says that the major growth in the first quarter of 2013 was in the medium sector, where the combination of the Hino 300 and the related Toyota Dyna is the market leader. The overall medium commercial vehicle market grew by five percent, with Hino’s sales up 25,3 percent.

Sales in the heavy truck segment increased overall by 0,3 percent, with Hino’s 500-Series growing by 19,1 percent. The extra-heavy truck market was at the same level as a year previously.

Thus, Hino remains number two in the overall truck market, raking second to Mercedes-Benz South Africa.

Kruger says the company is projecting sales of 28 000 units for the total truck and bus market in South Africa for 2013, which is only one percent up on the 2012 figure. He points out, however, that last year’s sales were the fourth highest in South African history. Hino’s target for 2013 is 4 000 units – a 14,3 percent market share, compared to the 13,3 percent share achieved last year.

The Hino senior executive says that Hino Motors showed strong global growth in 2012 with sales of 154 795 units, of which 112 333 units – or 73 percent – were sold outside Japan. This underlines the growing global presence of the brand, which now sells its products in 82 countries – a big jump from the 59 countries where it had representation in 2007.

South Africa has once again ranked ninth among Hino’s export countries, with Indonesia and Thailand continuing to hold the top two positions.