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Scania Australia looks to build on 2019 record

Dal Santo points to free run with NTG and V8s building confidence

 

Scania Australia enters the new year with a heavy-duty sales record under its belt, its V8 woes behind it and renewed confidence that its New Truck Generation (NTG) is hitting its straps.

Scania’s 1,149 heavy-duty trucks placed with customers during the year comes in the first full year of NTG availability and carry-over orders into 2020 “indicate robust demand endures for Australia’s safest truck range”, the local arm says.

It continues to spruik the NTG as the only truck to provide dual side curtain rollover airbags as standard across the range, with the new CrewCab four-door model favoured by Australian metropolitan and country fire-fighting services offering four side curtain rollover airbags.

“Driver safety has always been a top priority for Scania,” Scania Australia director of truck sales Dean Dal Santo says.

“Now more than ever, Australian fleet and retail customers are shopping with safety and environmental credentials at the top of their priority list.

“With the much-discussed shortage of drivers, operators understand that, quite aside from the continuous requirement for improvements in vehicle efficiency and reduction in operating costs, in order to attract and retain the best drivers, a safe, comfortable, quiet and spacious working environment must be provided.

“He insists the company is witnessing a significant shift in buying priorities across the country as operators and drivers seek safety and comfort in greater numbers than ever before.

“With the earliest NTG trucks having been on the road for 18 months, we have seen proof that the new technology has delivered the promised improvements in fuel economy and reductions in operating costs,” Dal Santo says.

“These savings have driven the increased demand for the Scania product.”


Read about Scania’s views on its rigids initiative and on emissions, here


In the face of federal government inertia on emissions laws, an issue the Swedish firm continues to take the cudgels to, it is seeking to make international benchmarks as attractive as possible.

“Supporting operators in their quest for improved efficiency and lower emissions, more Scania trucks delivered in 2019 were Euro 6 compliant than ever,” Dal Santo says.

“We have effectively switched to a Euro 6 default setting across all of our urban-focused offerings.

“This means Scania is driving the shift to a more sustainable transport solution, where emissions from our vehicles are as clean as is possible using internal combustion technology.

“Globally, Scania is already very advanced in its plans to deliver diesel-electric hybrid trucks and is working towards fully electrified chassis in the near future.

“At present, European cities are at the forefront of the drive to reduce emissions from heavy vehicles and Scania is working in concert with them to provide a future proof solution for its customers.

“That means that when Australia follows this direction, Scania will be ready with a proven range of solutions.”

Scania NTG V8 supply returned to normal last year, including availability of the new generation Euro 6 compliant 650hp (485kW) version.

Supplies of the XT ‘extra-tough’ construction industry-oriented specification across P, G and R-series cabs flowed freely into Australia, with the first all-wheel drive configuration, and all-new CrewCabs also arriving.

Also launched in 2019 was the new 7.0-litre engine in three horsepower outputs destined for the P-series urban and regional rigid delivery market, giving Scania access to the upper end of the medium duty market for the first time.

“The Scania product offering has successfully met the market expectation and demand has increased,” Dal Santo says.

“As we expand our product portfolio across more segments as well as increase availability of alternative and renewable fuelled vehicles, Scania will continue to drive the shift towards a sustainable transport system in Australia.

“For customers keen to future proof their business, Scania will be able to put a range of solutions at their disposal.”

 

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