Over the years, UD Trucks’ dealer network has expanded significantly, and to date, the brand boasts a total of 39 dealerships across Southern Africa. The latest investment in the new premises not only renews confidence in the brand but further provides additional capacity for growth to continue to meet the demands of a growing commercial vehicle market in the region, according to the manufacturer.

Officially opening the doors of UD Trucks Cape Town, amongst others, included: Koichi Ito, Chairman (UD Trucks Corporation), Jacques Michel (Senior Vice President, UD Trucks International Sales), John Trollip (Managing Director Fuzion Group) and Filip van den Heede (Managing Director UD Trucks Southern Africa).

Commenting on the occasion, Jacques Michel (Senior Vice President, UD Trucks International Sales) says South Africa remains integral to UD Trucks’ global business footprint, and with Cape Town being the second biggest port in the country, the company bdoes not doubt that the investment in the new establishment will allow it to be well-poised to better serve customers and the market at large.

Previously situated in Epping, east of Cape Town, the new dealership is now located on a 23 000 m² facility in Kraaifontein, benefiting from the strategic connections of the N1, N2 and R300 for the convenience of customers.

The new flagship dealership is well-equipped with cutting-edge vehicle servicing facilities and equipment for local distribution to customers, eight double drive-through workshop bays, as well as four double drive-through body building bays (including a spray booth)​.

Weighing in on the strategic move, Filip van den Heede (Managing Director, UD Trucks Southern Africa) says: “We are delighted to be opening the new facility as it rings true to our ‘Better Life’ purpose.

“Over the years, UD Trucks Southern Africa has maintained a strong presence in the highly competitive local market, and the new dealership facility is another example of the confidence generated by the UD Trucks brand. Our customers remain at the core of everything that we do, and UD Trucks Cape Town has our full support to ensure success.”

As part of UD Trucks’ ongoing efforts to become an environmentally conscious brand, the company has also extended this commitment to its independently owned, franchised dealers. In the new facility, three major areas contribute to the dealership’s eco-friendly philosophy: power saving in the form of renewable energy, water recycling and waste management.

The new building is powered by roof-mounted solar panels that generate a maximum of 4.5 MWh of power a month. It is further backed by six lithium batteries to serve as a backup system should the load be affected by a power outage or bad weather conditions – enough to supply an average of 10 hours of power to the admin block and for security lights.

Water management is also another carefully considered component in the new building with 90% of all wash bay water recycled, including rainwater, which is stored in tanks with a capacity of 60 000 litres. Paper, plastic, cardboard and glass waste are separated and collected for recycling, which reduces waste to landfill by 90%.

“The new development is a major turning point for us as a dealership, and we could not be prouder of the higher visibility and practicality for our customers. We would like to commend the UD Trucks team for its tremendous support in making this milestone a resounding success.

“With the robust strategy, planning and right vehicles from UD Trucks, we are confident in taking this dealership to a whole new dimension. Customer experience remains our top priority, and customers can visit our dealership any time during business hours,” concludes, John Trollip (Managing Director, Fuzion Group).