FAW Trucks achieved a significant milestone in its local history by taking the top spot in the Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) segment of the local market for the first time in January this year. With 50 unit sales recorded for the first month of 2021, FAW Trucks had a fair lead over second-placed Hino, with 20 sales.

This already impressive performance was surpassed in February, when FAW Trucks sold a significant 80 HCV units, well ahead of its closest rival, Hino (58) and third-placed Isuzu (52).

Says Jianyu Hao, CEO of FAW South Africa: “Since first entering the local market in 1994, it has been our mission to provide South African buyers with products of high quality that are not only well suited to local conditions, but also boast high levels of safety, convenience and comfort. We have managed to combine this with competitive pricing, low running costs and excellent aftersales service. Our remarkable sales success in January and February is proof that we are doing something right as more and more buyers are opting for our trucks.”

FAW’s sales in the HCV segment is driven by two models, the 8.140FL and the 15.180FL. Both are ideally suited to customers in the farming and agriculture sector and have also found favour with small contractors and businesses, as well as fleet operators such as courier companies, 

The 8.140FL freight carrier/tipper was first introduced in South Africa in 2015 and has a body and payload allowance of 6 tonnes. Providing seating for a driver and two passengers, it features a spacious and ergonomically designed cab, while air-conditioning and a radio with MP3 and USB functionality are standard. Fitted with a Euro 3 Cummins ISF 3,8-litre engine, the 8.140FL delivers a healthy 450 Nm of torque between 1 200 and 2 200 r/min, while a solid output of 105 kW is on tap at 2 600 r/min. Additional features include a full air dual circuit WABCO braking system with ABS.

The 15.180FL has a spacious, ergonomically designed semi-sleeper cab with a 9.8-tonne body and payload allowance. Occupant comfort is a priority in FAW Trucks and therefore standard features include air-conditioning and a radio with MP3 and USB capability. The engine is a Euro 2-compliant 6 557 cc, six-cylinder, in-line turbocharged unit that delivers 132 kW at 2 300 r/min and has 650 Nm of peak torque on tap between 1 400 and 1 600 r/min. Like the 8.140FL, it also has a full air dual circuit WABCO braking system with ABS.

In keeping with market trends and in response to customer requirements, FAW Trucks will upgrade and expand its range of vehicles during the course of 2021. To ensure that the product offering remains fresh, while at the same time catering to changing demands within the HCV segment, additional transmission options and a new derivative are on the cards .

“The current HCV range carries all the hallmarks that FAW products are renowned for, namely strength, reliability, ease of operation, and most importantly, delivering on the promise of a ‘truck built in South Africa, for Africa’,” Hao explains. “The planned upgrades to and expansion of the range will once again set the bar even higher and should bolster our sales performance even further as we head into the second half of the year.

“As always, all FAW heavy commercial Trucks carry a two-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. With almost 40 local representative outlets across South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, backed up by a dedicated national parts distribution facility in Spartan, we remain fully committed to offering our customers excellent aftersales service. Good products and good service are what drive good sales figures,” concludes Hao.