FRANKFURT: The Fuso Canter generation of trucks is enjoying considerable popularity in Malaysia and also in the Philippines, in terms of an impressive growth recorded in both countries.This is the assessment of the Japanese manufacturer, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), which recently introduced its latest generation of the light Fuso Canter in both Malaysia and the Philippines.
With the induction, MFTBC has launched new products in a region whose commercial vehicle market is currently having a stable growth.
The MFTBC reported impressive sales growth during the first quarter of the year for this truck type.
Compared with the previous year’s corresponding period, sales in Southeast Asia jumped 49.1 per cent from 7,740 units to 11,550 units, of the trucks.
“In the current year, turnover of Fuso trucks in Southeast Asia, our biggest export market region, is expected to further rise.
“With the launch of the new Fuso Canter in Malaysia and the Philippines, we want to unleash additional growth impulses and further assert and expand our leading position,” Albert Kirchmann, the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MFTBC said.
According to Kirchmann, the Southeast Asian region is one of the most promising markets for commercial vehicles worldwide, and in view of the still difficult global economic situation for the company, an immensely important one.
The Fuso Canter trucks meant for Malaysia and the Philippines are sold through a network of distributors of Mercedes-Benz Malaysia and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines respectively.
The latest Fuso Canter trucks are 4.4 to 7.5 tons in weight.
The manufacturers claim that the latest generation of trucks are characterised by improved security, reliability and efficiency, compared to their predecessor models.
With products such as the Fuso Canter and an extensive service network, Fuso has become the leading commercial vehicle brand in Southeast Asia.
The company attributed the growth in the Indonesian market to the overall “very positive turnover development” in the region.
Indonesia has become the biggest single export market in Southeast Asia.
Sales in Indonesia during the first quarter of the year jumped 55 per cent to 10,620, units up from 6,830 units, in the same period of the previous year.
With a market share of 56.1 per cent, Fuso is the market leader in Indonesia’s light-vehicle truck segment.
The hybrid version of the Fuso Canter, with sales of nearly 900 units, is also showing promising signs of growth.
In February, the MFTBC had announced the sale of the Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid in Hong Kong as well as 25 ordered by Star Track Express, a leading Australian transport company.
In October 2009, Ireland’s largest energy supplier, the Electricity Supply Board, had ordered ten Fuso Canter Eco Hybrid vehicles, and became, in effect, the first customer outside Japan to order the light truck.
For this year, MFTBC is planning to expand its hybrid business by expanding further in the new markets.
The MFTBC, based in Kawasaki, Japan, is amongst the leading commercial vehicle manufacturers in Asia.
In 2009, the company sold 99,500 vehicles, including light, medium-heavy and heavy trucks as well as buses.
Germany’s Daimler AG, the Mercedes-Benz carmaker, holds an 85 per cent stake in the MFTBC.
MFTBC is part of the Daimler AG’s segment Daimler Trucks. — Bernama