Premium landing at Nampo

Renault Trucks wowed visitors at this year’s Nampo agricultural trade show with the versatility of its vehicle range.

The annual Nampo Agricultural Trade Show – the biggest of its kind in the southern hemisphere – presents an opportunity for the industry’s players to exhibit their latest and greatest offerings.

Renault Trucks – part of the Volvo Group, one of the largest trucking groups in the world – brought two models to the week-long trade show that it believed would attract a lot of attention in the market. 

The first of these models was the Kerax, a truck that the company pinned to be the star of the 2013 Nampo show. The Kerax is Renault’s off-road version of a traditional heavy-duty commercial vehicle, which makes it the ideal companion for life on the farm and a halo product for Renault at an exhibition such as this. (Grab a copy of the June edition of FOCUS for more information on the Kerax as it featured on the cover, or visit our website.)

But Renault’s prediction of the Kerax being the most popular at the show was proved wrong when the other model it brought along, the Premium Lander, turned out to be the one creating more excitement with the crowds.

As national sales manager for Renault Trucks South Africa, Rory Kirton, points out: “Although not targeted directly at the agricultural market, the versatile Premium Lander attracted keen interest at the show. A lot of the farmers say that they travel between 20 and 30 kilometres at a time and therefore require something that is light and fuel efficient – and we believe that the Premium Lander is the best in its class.”

Compared to the competition, a Premium Lander 8×4 rigid, with a 4 350 mm wheelbase, has an unladen weight of 9 050 kg. This offers its owner anything from 200 kg to 1 200 kg more payload on each journey, making it the ideal partner for any farmer.

And the vehicle offers a huge range of choice as it is available in 70 different derivatives and seven configurations. It has two different cab types, three roof heights and three possible lengths.

But the company offers even more, as farmers have a different set of requirements to regular truck and fleet owners, Kirton points out: “Farmers often want special tippers and bins added on to their trucks, and we can make any adaptations to provide for these demands.”

This is made easy by the Premium Lander’s pre-drilled fastening kit, brackets and plates that are all designed to help body builders work quickly, easily and efficiently.

The chassis is also designed to last the entire lifetime of the vehicle, as it is made from a new steel selected for its outstanding robustness.

Prospective owners have the choice of solo and tandem drive axles which makes the Premium Lander range adaptable for both on and off-road applications.

Adding to the off-road ability is the 340 mm of ground clearance under the rear drive axle as well as the parabolic front, and air or parabolic rear-suspension system. This system is adapted to the demands of each specific activity (from 7,1 to nine tonnes in the front, and from 11,5 to 21 tonnes in the rear), giving the vehicle enhanced durability. Load capacity is optimised and coupled with additional comfort.

The Premium Lander comes with two Euro-3 engine derivatives, the DXi7 and DXi11. The former offers power ratings of 280 and 320 hp (208,8 and 238,6 kW), while the latter is available with 330, 380 and 440 hp (246, 283 and 328,12 kW).

Both the Kerax and Premium Lander are fitted with an Optidriver+ automatic gearbox which lowers fuel consumption and is easier to use than a manual equivalent. And if you combine this with the company’s Optifuel solution, a comprehensive vehicle operating programme, the fuel savings keep on coming.

Renault’s Optifuel training programme aims to make monitors and drivers aware of economic driving, which include good driving practices as well, to make the most of the technologyes advances in Renault’s truck ranges.

The Premium Lander is fitted with disc brakes and the latest generation Electronic Braking System (EBS 5) as standard. This is a system of electronically controlled air braking which adapts vehicle braking wheel by wheel according to road grip conditions.

The Kerax comes with a three-year/400 000 km standard warranty and the Premium Lander with a four-year/600 000 km maxi-warranty. 

Besides being an important show for manufacturers and suppliers, the Nampo exhibition is also good for Bothaville; it receives a large cash injection as show-goers flock to this small Free State town.

The show is also invaluable to the farmers and surrounding community. “A lot of new technology doesn’t reach the rural areas, so this show is important for the people in these communities. It gives them an opportunity to be exposed to the latest technology and to jump in, test and get a feel for all of the latest products,” Kirton concludes.