Track action with Iveco

Iveco South Africa recently hosted African clients, prospective clients and dealers at the Iveco in Action event. FOCUS also got the exclusive nod! GAVIN MYERS was there.

Eamonn Parker, MD of Iveco South Africa, will tell you that the best way to sell a vehicle is “to get bums in seats”. That’s exactly what the company did during September, when it invited around 300 people from the local and African market to the Gerotek testing facility, outside Pretoria.

“Our customers form a key part of why Iveco has grown significantly in Africa over the last few years – at the end of 2014 we saw a 56-percent increase in sales and the region now accounts for ten percent of sales worldwide,” he notes.

Up to three-quarters of the guests at the Iveco in Action event were new to the brand. The Iveco team was keen to make a good impression, with three links and two rigid vehicles – spanning the Eurocargo, 682, Trakker and Stralis ranges – available for guests to experience. They were also treated to a tour of the company’s world-class plant in Rosslyn, Pretoria.

Martin Liebenberg, head of sales at Iveco South Africa, details the various models. “Iveco has brought products and derivatives to the market to satisfy every need and desire,” he begins.

In brief, the current Iveco range consists of the:

• Daily 3,5 to 7-t range in panel van, chassis cab and 4×4 versions. “The Daily uses a ladder-frame chassis that is normally found on our larger trucks, so, when it comes to bodybuilding and repair, they are really easy to work on,” says Liebenberg. It is backed by a two-year/unlimited mileage warranty.

• Eurocargo 7 to 18-t range, with the possibility to configure over 11 000 different derivatives! “Eurocargo has won more awards in its segment than any other brand, and has, therefore, been the benchmark in Europe to the present day.” The range has recently been bolstered with a 4×4 version, and a three-year/300 000 km warranty is offered.

• 682, which is Iveco’s value offering. “The 682 has evolved since 1952 to suit the African market. It’s very well placed in the market and is the ‘king of Africa’,” Liebenberg grins.

Parker adds: “A particular customer that has bought the 682 4×2 truck tractor is returning phenomenal performance on the Durban to Cape Town route. We have big plans for this model.” A two-year/
200 000 km warranty is offered.  

• Stralis on-highway and Trakker off-highway 18 to 44-t range of truck tractors and rigids. “Iveco has managed to use the Cursor engine and ZF gearbox very successfully, which can be seen in the very competitive repair and maintenance rates of these vehicles,” says Liebenberg. Nonetheless, a three-year/400 000-km warranty backs the Trakker off-highway while the Stralis and Trakker on-highway versions boast a three-year/600 000-km warranty.

But, that’s not all … starring at the event was the all-new single reduction 328 kW (440 hp) Trakker. Designed to offer excellent fuel consumption and impressive reliability to the side-tipping/coal transport sector, this truck is essentially half Stralis, half Trakker.

“It has the comfort of the on-road range with the durability of the off-road range,” Parker explains. “This new Trakker is perfectly suited to its application. Our dealers and customers called for single, rather than hub, reduction – and we spent two-and-a-half years developing it. We can’t produce these as fast as we are selling them …” he smiles.

Believe it or not, there’s still more to come from Iveco! The launch of a new, improved bus is imminent and, in 2016, the all-new Daily (crowned 2015 International Van of the Year) will arrive, including a 22-seater taxi version.

Doubtlessly, that’ll mean many more bums in many more seats!