BTS: UD Croner breaks cover

While it was the new 8-litre Quon grabbing the limelight on the UD Trucks stand at the 2019 Brisbane Truck Show, the Japanese brand also had another new model on display: the Croner.

UD isn't planning to officially launch the Croner before early 2020, but took the opportunity of the biennial Brisbane event to whet prospective customers' appetites with a sneak peek at the newcomer.

In addition to a static display truck on the UD Trucks stand, a Croner joined an 8-litre Quon on a barge that made its way down the Brisbane River on the evening of the opening day of the Brisbane Truck Show.

Effectively a successor for the existing Condor, the Croner – whose name, UD tells us, is derived from the Greek god of time, Chronos – will be available in two variants: a 4x2 PK and a 6x2 PD.

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The Croner has been around in various developing markets since 2017, with a focus on strength and reliability to withstand the harsh environments in which it operates. The model has already completed 1.5 million test kilometres over three continents, says UD, in countries spanning Thailand, India, South Africa, Peru and the United Arab Emirates.

Now UD Trucks says its design team in Japan has worked with local engineers to hone the Croner specifically for Australian and New Zealand requirements, where its underlying robustness should serve it well.

Powered by GH8 engine also found in the new 8-litre Quon, the Croner will reach Australia in two forms, the PK 18 280 and PD 25 280, seeing it fulfil a number of applications in the upper-medium-duty and lower-heavy-duty markets. A range of wheelbases and options will be on offer, says UD.

On the stand at the Brisbane Truck Show was a Croner PK 18 280 tipper, with Euro 5 GH8 engine rated at 280hp at 2200rpm and 1050Nm at 1100rpm, the urge fed to the rear axle via an Allison 3000 Series six-speed automatic transmission.

The model has a GVM of 17,500kg and an optional GCM of 32,000kg, and was fitted with an eight-cubic-metre Hardox tipping body.

According to Mark Strambi, Vice President of UD Trucks Australia, the Croner has all the attributes its needs for success in Australia.

"UD Trucks prides itself on building smart and modern trucks that the world needs today and the Croner is an exciting addition to our range in Australia," he said.

"By understanding customers' demands and business needs, the Croner has been engineered to maximise uptime and productivity.

"It delivers on UD's brand promise of Ultimate Dependability – it is a reliable and versatile truck and has been built with robust components to the highest of quality standards."

UD Trucks Australia will be taking orders for the Croner from late 2019, ahead of the model's introduction early next year.