Japanese truck maker UD Trucks has launched its all-new medium duty truck, the Croner, in the Middle East, East and North Africa markets.

The Volvo Group-owned company said in a statement that the new Croner range has been designed specifically for growth markets across the Middle East, Asia, Africa and South America.

Mourad Hedna, president, UD Trucks Middle East, East and North Africa, said: “UD Trucks understands that more time spent on the road and less time in the workshop drives success for our customers’ businesses. It is our aim for Croner to make every moment count, through maximising productivity and minimising downtime on every run our customers make.”

Designed for the medium duty segment, Croner offers options for three gross vehicle weight (GVW) models – MKE, LKE and PKE, and their wheelbase variants – offering up to 21 different configurations to suit specific demands of various industries. Additionally, air suspension is available as an option on all variants, UD Trucks said.

The manufacturer feels that the truck’s automatic transmission option will be crucial for markets facing driver shortages. Croner aims to help customers attract drivers with an automatic transmission that provides ease of drive and reduce fatigue for both experienced and inexperienced drivers. The automatic transmission can also help lower cost and downtime for Middle East business owners, as manual transmissions are more susceptible to wear-and-tear, particularly in long-haul driving, UD Trucks said.

The statement added that the Croner benefits from the best of three worlds: UD Trucks’ Japanese heritage and craftsmanship, the Volvo Group’s global technology and sourcing, and local manufacturing and customer support. Further, the trucks are manufactured to UD Trucks’ Ultimate Dependability standard employing its Gemba philosophy of value addition and close association with customers, the manufacturer revealed.