Foton Trucks names top dealer

Foton Trucks has announced that Truck Centre WA (South Guildford) was its best-performing dealership last year, in what was the first full year of operations under the brand's new importer and distributor, Ateco Automotive.

The Perth-based dealership delivered a total of 27 new Foton Trucks in 2014, in what Foton Trucks General Manager Alex Stewart describes as a year of rebuilding and re-establishment.

Foton Trucks is distributed throughout Australia by Ateco Automotive, a privately owned Sydney-based importer whose brands include Ssangyong, Great Wall, Chery, LDV and the Foton Tunland utility. Ateco also successfully established the Kia brand in Australia, before the South Korean manufacturer assumed control with its own wholly owned subsidiary.

Mr Stewart praised the South Guildford dealership for its efforts.

"Congratulations to Phil Winkless, Brad Daff and his team at Truck Centre WA, headed by Gerald Cunnold, for becoming our number one Australian Foton dealer for 2014," he said.

"The performance of Truck Centre WA was very strong and is an example of what can be achieved."

Mr Stewart said there was much work to be done to increase the brand's influence in this country.

"It may seem like a modest sales tally compared with most truck brands but Foton is still new in Australia; we consider this to be a restart and we still have a job to communicate our value and brand proposition to buyers."

Foton Trucks now shares its sales information with the Truck Industry Council's T-Mark market sales database. A total of 174 Foton trucks were registered last year, the figure representing growth of 107 per cent over the 2013 tally achieved by the brand's previous distributor, Transpacific Industries Group.

Foton Trucks has models spanning two cab widths, two engines, three wheelbases and GVMs from 4.5 to 8.5 tonnes. Manufactured in China, the trucks benefit from Cummins engines, ZF transmissions and Bosch electronics. Prices start from $32,990 drive away, while Foton trucks are covered by a three-year/160,000km warranty with 24-hour roadside assistance.

In other Foton Trucks news, the brand has expanded its national dealer network to 25 outlets with the recent appointment of Foton Geelong in Victoria.

Dealer Principal at Foton Geelong, Richard Furnari, says Foton brings new trucks within easy reach of tradesman and small businesses.

"Value and price are always driving forces for small business seeking work vehicles and Foton's competitive price delivers just that," he says.

"We believe in Foton and look forward to delivering the expanded range to our customers in Geelong and the Barwon region."

Foton Geelong is located at 7-12 Industrial Place, Breakwater. For more information contact the dealership direct on (03) 5222 6827 or visit www.fotongeelong.com.au.