1. 9 0 - September 2015 OWNER//PRIVER www.ownerdriver.com.au
I Going the Extra Mile
Page 1 of 3
September, 2015
Owner Driver, National
Author: Greg Bush • Section: General News • Article type : News Item
Audience : 37,039 • Page: 90 • Printed Size: 4045.00cm² • Market: National
Country: Australia • ASR: AUD 18,835 • Words: 1105 • Item ID: 463927137
Copyright Agency licensed copy (www.copyright.com.au)

2. AS PART of UD Trucks' celebration of 80 years in operation, its Australian
division put on a showcase at Queensland's Mt Cotton Training Centre in late
July when seven of the Japanese manufacturer's units were made available for
customers and dealership personnel.
It was also an opportunity for UD to host its inaugural UD Trucks Extra Mile
Challenge, not unlike its stablemate Volvo's Drivers' Fuel Challenge.
The truck line-up on show ranged from the Condor MK 11 250 up to the
Quon G W 26 420. In between were a couple of newbies, the PD 24 280 and MK
tipper, both of which debuted at this year's Brisbane Truck Show.
However, the buzz around the tree-ringed Mt Cotton track was the first ever
Australian appearance of the 6x2 Quon, complete with a lazy axle.
Known also as the CD 24 380, the locally adapted prototype is UD's attempt
to up the ante against the 6x2 plus 40-tonne GCM market which the Europeans
are dominating.
Locally adapted from an imported 4x2, the 6x2 Quon comes with a GH 11
series 38Ohp (280kW) engine and a 12-speed Escot V transmission. UD is
aiming it at the intrastate and urban delivery market, with the advantage that
the 6x2 will deliver better economy than a 6x4.
UD Trucks product manager Ben Chamberlin says the prototype cab-chassis
Quon has already passed ADR for brake and compliance. The next step is to
wait for demand.
"We'll go back to Japan, and if we can get the volume out of the dealer
network and some commitment on some volume, I'll be pretty confident we can
get a project going for this," he says.
"It's 45-tonne GCM, that's the main advantage for it. Really in that segment
the competition is European, so DAF, Scania, Mercedes-Benz ... Volvo has
some opportunity in that segment as well."
However, Chamberlin says pricewise, the UD will be well away from where
Volvo competes.
"Obviously the GCM gives us an advantage that we've got a differentiator in
that marketplace from the 42-tonne.
"At 45-tonne we're able to open up a little bit more and spread us a bit further
away from Volvo."
Naturally, UD wants to avoid going into direct competition against its Volvo
Group Australia stablemates, hence the reasoning behind ditching the 13-litre
GW 470 Quon, the last of which was sold a couple of months ago. It leaves the
420 as UD's biggest product, until Euro 6 kicks in anyway.
The Quon GW 26 420, with its GH11 engine and 12-speed Escot V two-pedal
automated manual transmission (AMT), has been around for a couple of years now.
Like its Volvo big brother, it comes with hill start aid, perfect for testing out
on Mt Cotton's undulating circuit.
It's 11-litre 420hp (309kW) engine boasts l,600ft-lb (2,169Nm) of
torque, although Volvo recommends driving it in 'economy' mode, which
Reversing test
during the UD Trucks
lExtra Mile Challenge
f
Weprobably won
too many manual trar
in flustralia.
Page 2 of 3
September, 2015
Owner Driver, National
Author: Greg Bush • Section: General News • Article type : News Item
Audience : 37,039 • Page: 90 • Printed Size: 4045.00cm² • Market: National
Country: Australia • ASR: AUD 18,835 • Words: 1105 • Item ID: 463927137
Copyright Agency licensed copy (www.copyright.com.au)

3. The Quon GW 26 420 boasts
the biggest horsepower in the Australian UD line-up
;*.
i he 6x2 Quon CD 24 380 on trial
•UD Trucks vice president of sales
Jon McLean says UD's new sound
system can easily handle the
music of Led Zeppelin
delivers torque figures between 1,000 and 1,500 for those seeking the best
fuel efficiency.
"We are a multi brand company with a multi brand strategy," Volvo Group
Australia managing director Peter Voorhoeve states.
"We have Volvo, Mack, UD and Renault."
"In the set-up that we have in Australia, it didn't make too much sense to have
the 13-litre engine in the UD offering.
"With the offering that we have today, if you take Mack, Volvo and UD together,
we have a complete offering. So every customer can pick what he wants.
"What I would like to avoid as much as possible is internal competition.
"Of course there are a couple of applications that you can do with a 13-litre
UD that you maybe cannot do with a Mack or with a Volvo. Those are very small
segments which unfortunately we have to step out of," Voorhoeve says.
"But we are convinced we can offer everything to our customers for all different
applications, but maybe not from the same brand."
While the 6x2 Quon attracted its fair share of interest, UD happily spruiked the
capabilities of its MK tipper, available both in 6-speed manual, or the 5-speed
Allison auto. While traditionalists may stick with the manual, the easy driving auto
is certain to be the popular pick.
"If you hop out of one into the other, you'll see that we probably won't sell
too many manual transmissions in Australia," UD Trucks vice president of sales
Jon McLean says.
"With that Allison transmission, it's like driving a car."
Both the manual and auto versions of the MK 11 250 tippers were
put through their paces, hauling and tipping loads of dirt, thanks to
Volvo Construction Equipment.
The 11-tonne GVM tipper, with 250hp (184kW), carries around 5- to 5.5-tonne
payload, which UD claims is the highest payload in the market for that type
of truck.
The tipper, along with the other rigids, also comes with a reversing camera and,
like the rest of the UD line-up, Fleet Max Plus telematics and satellite navigation.
McLean points out that customers purchasing a UD will receive those add-ons in
a complimentary package, including insurance, up until December 31 this year.
In addition, the audio system has been upgraded, including the addition of Sony
150 watt three-way speakers.
"So if you put on one of your favourite Led Zeppelin songs and bang that baby
up, the sound quality is fantastic," McLean enthuses.
The telematics was given a workout at Mt Cotton through the Extra Mile
Challenge. Each driver was handed a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag,
keeping track of driving style efficiency and ultimately fuel economy.
Chamberlin says the latest telematics system is an extension of the UD's original
package which was released in 2013.
"Over the past two years we've spent hundreds of hours refining the reports,
improving the total package.
"Since then we've actually gone for a one-click style user portal,"
Chamberlin says.
"We've tried to make it as simple as possible, so on the front page when you log
in, basically the widget will provide you fast information, and you click through
to your report on fuel, or violations or driver efficiency."
Following the completion of the UD Trucks Extra Mile Challenge, John Murray
of Origin Energy emerged as the winner, beating runner-up Clint Sheppard of
DGL, and third placegetter Josh Saunders of Lee's Liquid Waste Services. "
r i
•' - r
V few oldies gatecrashed
Lhe celebrations
Page 3 of 3
September, 2015
Owner Driver, National
Author: Greg Bush • Section: General News • Article type : News Item
Audience : 37,039 • Page: 90 • Printed Size: 4045.00cm² • Market: National
Country: Australia • ASR: AUD 18,835 • Words: 1105 • Item ID: 463927137
Copyright Agency licensed copy (www.copyright.com.au)