Triton brings the challenge to competitors
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
- Product News
- 21 November 2024
October is Transport Month in South Africa and a time to focus on how important a role the sector plays in shaping our country’s economy and how to improve it.
After all, a safe and efficient national transport system is crucial to our modern way of life as it allows the population access to jobs, schools, universities, healthcare facilities and shops, says Suzuki.
Helping empower people reliant on everyday road infrastructure to earn a living, Suzuki Auto South Africa is excited to offer two affordable workhorse vehicles aimed at mobilising small businesses and entrepreneurs.
Starting at R182 900, the versatile Suzuki Super Carry sports a 750 kg load capacity and a widest-in-its-class load box. Last year, this well-proven pickup was joined by the Suzuki Eeco Van: another compact commercial vehicle powered by a similarly robust 1.2L four-cylinder petrol engine and offering a secure cargo bay big enough to swallow a full-sized South African pallet. Access is provided via a large roof-to-bumper rear door that opens upwards and two side sliding doors that can be operated independently.
“Since its launch in 2023, the Eeco has been very well received by our customers. Similar to the Super Carry, it offers fuel-efficient point-to-point transport of goods at the lowest possible price,” says Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager of Suzuki Auto South Africa.
To give local movers and shakers a taste of what the R212 900 Eeco Van has to offer, Suzuki Auto South Africa recently undertook to deliver test units to a number of pre-selected small businesses from around the country. Theirs to use for three months, this forward-thinking initiative allows them to fully evaluate the Eeco Van’s capabilities out in the field.
“We want our entrepreneurs to drive the Eeco to see how much they can cram into the cargo bay and experience for themselves just how economical it is to run,” says Brendon.
Another topic very much under the national spotlight during Transport Month is road safety.
More than 14 000 people perish on our country’s roads every year. Put this statistic under the microscope and you’ll discover a disproportionate number of these fatalities are from the vulnerable road user group (17 to 29 years of age). As a countermeasure, Suzuki Auto South Africa has collaborated with local transport consortium, FleetMax Africa, to develop a unique and localised road-safety curriculum accessible to anybody with a smartphone.
Launched in August 2024, DriveSMART with Suzuki is curating a selection of road safety videos covering more than 132 topics, including defensive driving, law enforcement and vehicle maintenance. To make them relevant and easily accessible to a younger audience, these clips are produced for flighting on popular social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tik-Tok and WhatsApp. This approach also ensures a long shelf life.
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
JAC Motors added ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) to its X200 2.8L TDI 1.5-tonne single-cab, enhancing safety for both the crew and cargo. This latest upgrade complements the ABS-equipped X200 1.3-tonne double-cab targeted at organisations with labour-intensive crews.
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