Sinotruk starts to produce light trucks

www.chinatrucks.com: It is learned that Sinotruk light truck is going to be released after five-year development, and Sinotruk is even concerned to Volkswagen acquisition of MAN. Sinotruk has signed contract with MAN in 2009, and MAN secured 25%+1 shares of Sinotruk. It's the first step for VW to purchase MAN, and its next step is in Asia, and VW has started negotiation with MAN and Sinotruk long ago. So is Sinotruk light truck connected with MAN and VW strategies in Asia?


Our journalist visited Sinotruk headquarter to look for the answer to the question.

It can be observed that there are always some foreigners coming in and out of Sinotruk Zhangqiu production base every day, and senior management of Sinotruk is contacting MAN and VW. Someone said that Sinotruk planed to develop medium and light trucks since early cooperation. Sinotruk is also optimistic about introducing MAN or VW technology.

Our journalist still took some pictures of Sinotruk light trucks, and the European concise style looks grand, and is this truck inherited from MAN or VW?

We can see from the picture that the driving cabin adopts popular wide body, long vehicle body and agile and high-end appearance. Its new and modern face and high-end painting. The big bend glass embodies the light truck's design and wider view.

Its power and maneuverability are very good. MAN has transferred some technology to Sinotruk, and this can combine with Sinotruk's strengthness on China markets and low costs. But we still don't know whether this light truck is developed by Sinotruk or co-developed with the help of MAN.

We can say that the new Sinotruk light trucks will also be a high-end product, and its price may be over 100,000 Yuan.

Sales of light trucks are driven by soaring development of rural economy, urbanization and emerging satellite cities, and there are also some bad effects of world financial crisis and central government's policies. Sales of light trucks decreased by 20% in 2011 with the withdraw of sales promotions of light trucks in rural areas, decreased purchasing tax and old truck replacement. Major light truck makers are doing whatever they can to seize more market shares. Sinotruk enters light truck markets on this situation, so what is its plan?

Currently homogenization of China light trucks are rather severe and competition of Japanes light trucks, European light trucks and some joint venture trucks are taking their own positions and no matter Sinotruk, MAN or VW cannot find much unique markets.

Although sales of light trucks are huge, its profits are small, so most truck makers are taking small profits and quick returns. Sinotruk invested a lot for this light truck, and its engines and interior trimmings are all foreign brands, so it is a little for Sinotruk to get costs back. Facing more and more rational customers, Sinotruk light trucks may not takes much market shares quickly since they don't have big competitiveness on cost-performance ratio.

Sinotruk has fifty-year history to produce heavy trucks, MAN has spent nearly one hundred years to produce heavy commercial vehicles, and VW is a dominating passenger cars producer, but none of them has the experiences to produce light trucks. It's still unknown whether they can success in China light trucks markets, but we really admire their courage to enter this market. 

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