ROTIMI ASHER
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n preparation for full take-off of local manufacturing, Boulos Enterprises Limited, Nigeria’s reputable auto assembler, has made ready 21 imported units of Suzuki Super Carriage truck for launch into the Nigeria market.
As revealed by the company’s General Manager, Sales and Marketing, Stanley Evans, during a chat with Motoring World in his Ikeja office last week, the launch, which was earlier scheduled for first week of December, 2016 did not hold, because of “exigencies and difficulty to source FOREX.
”We have brought in 21 of the vehicles for initial stock launch,” he explained. “This is a soft launch. You are having the privilege of seeing the initial stock. Within few months, it will be launched.”
According to him, ” out of the 21 Fully Built Up (FBU) brought in, 20 is for soft launch, while one is trial vehicle.”
Evans explained: “The trial vehicle will be knocked down to train our guys. In other words, we are training with it. Some will be sold. As it is, we have sold the first two already. Five will be demonstrated. One will be a freeze unit; one will be a van, one a pickup and one possibly a mobile workshop.”
However, the imported launch units, according to Evans, will be followed by CKDs, marking beginning of Suzuki Super Carriage trucks’ manufacturing in Nigeria from the plant already built at Boulos premises located along Acme Road, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State.
“And we will build them up to standard,” he said. “We will build them according to customers’ specifications, because we can build to whatever anybody wants. If a customer wants a pickup truck, van, automobile workshop or refrigerating unit, we’ve got them all. We can build to specification.”
Asked about the reliability of the truck, he explained that Suzuki products are consistently in the top three most reliable products in the world.
“It is consistently on top”, he pointed out, adding that, ” you measure reliability by the number of breakdown, and since it is Japanese based engineering, there is a minimum number of breakdown. Its reliability is perfect.”
Boulos locally manufactured Suzuki Super Carriage truck, Motoring World learnt, shall be powered by 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine mated to a manual transmission gearbox.
In Evans’ words, “the truck is capable of going minimum of 10,000 km on one service and major service at 20,000km.”
According to the Boulos’ Sales and Marketing boss, who took time to take Motoring World editorial staff on a short test drive, ” the truck is designed for modern business users with multiplicity of real options, 21 body options and minimum maintenance, top quality and extremely economical; the first major service is after two years or 20,000 km.’
“With this truck, you can turn round in a minimum area. It also has great ground clearance, and it is Suzuki’s modern vehicle designed for commercial purposes.’
“The technology is extremely advanced with a completely neutral handling and perfect balance. It’s a brand new technology, 2017 engine, version of which is used by sports Car Company.’
“The Super Carriage truck goes for just N4.3 million, as against its competitors which goes for over N6 million.”
©Copyright MOTORING WORLD INTERNATIONAL.
All rights reserved. Materials, photographs, illustrations and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior written permission from Motoring World International
Contact: editor.motoringworldng@gmail.com
