Mitsubishi Fuso Plans to Expand South Africa Product Line
With All-New FN Medium-Duty Truck Freight Carrier

Kawasaki - Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), one of Asia’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, today announced an expansion of its South Africa product line, to encompass the all-new FN medium-duty truck freight carrier. The new product, expanding Fuso’s range for the upper medium-duty truck segment, was debuted at the Johannesburg International Motor Show. The show display also included existing current products for the market like the FV heavy-duty truck tractor. In addition to this, the company also highlighted the renowned advanced hybrid light-duty truck Canter Eco Hybrid for the first time in South Africa.

“Mitsubishi Fuso is pleased to announce this important next step, an addition to our South Africa product line,” said Mr. Kai-Uwe Seidenfuss, MFTBC Vice President of Sales & Service International. “We are confident to find solid demand for the all-new FN upper medium-duty truck freight carrier for the market. The vehicle will serve an even broader range of customer needs and will bring a view to advanced technology for South Africa. We believe the FN will add further momentum to the market building on and adding to the successful products already in the market.”

The all-new advanced generation FN medium-duty truck on display incorporates additional modern advances in safety, reliability and efficiency, showing the further possibilities what Mitsubishi Fuso can deliver for the market. The new FN medium-duty truck will be available in early 2012.

Mitsubishi Fuso at the Johannesburg International Motor Show 2011

MFTBC is presenting its range of advanced vehicles at the Mercedes-Benz South Africa Commercial Vehicles stand together with its other fellow brands of the Daimler group, Freightliner, Mercedes-Benz trucks, Mercedes-Benz vans and Mercedes-Benz bus and coach. The show is open October 6-16 at the Nasrec Exhibition Center located at the southern boundary of Johannesburg.

Mitsubishi Fuso’s display showcases a total of three advanced vehicles: an existing current model FV heavy-duty truck tractor for the market; an all-new FN medium-duty truck freight carrier to bring even broader and more comprehensive truck line in South Africa; and South Africa premiere, the world’s leading fuel-efficient hybrid light-duty truck, Canter Eco Hybrid.

The FV heavy-duty truck represents the upper end of Fuso’s line-up, completing a broad and comprehensive truck line in South Africa, extending from 5 tons up to 26 tons gross vehicle weight (GVW), to serve a wider range of business and industry.

South Africa Premiere: Canter Eco Hybrid Light-Duty Truck

Debuted in July 2006 for the Japan market, the Canter Eco Hybrid with its parallel hybrid system significantly reduces fuel consumption and emissions while providing easy operation on the job. Power to drive the vehicle comes from the vehicle’s electric motor, the diesel engine or both. The hybrid system switches its operational mode to optimized mode according to the driving situation. When slowing down or braking, the electric motor functions as a generator to help brake the vehicle. The generator converts brake energy into electric energy and stores it in the Lithium (Li)-ion battery for the next moving off or acceleration. So this system significantly contributes to lower fuel consumption and CO2 reduction.

In October 2009, MFTBC announced it had received its first 10-unit hybrid orders outside Japan from the Electricity Supply Board, Ireland’s premiere electricity utility. MFTBC has since then sold 25 units in Australia and launched its hybrid truck for the Hong Kong market in 2010. To date, more than 1,200 Canter Eco Hybrid trucks have been sold globally.

Mitsubishi Fuso is not yet introducing the Canter Eco Hybrid in South Africa, but is displaying the truck to evaluate customer demand.

Mitsubishi Fuso delivers a complete line of trucks for the South Africa market ranging from 5 tons up to 26 tons gross vehicle weight (GVW). These vehicles are being assembled at the Mercedes-Benz South Africa (Pty) Ltd. (MBSA) East London Plant from knocked-down (KD) kits shipped from Japan. With the planned addition of the all-new FN upper medium-duty truck freight carrier, the company intends to further strengthen its market presence by bringing broader range of solutions to the customers in the market.

Mitsubishi Fuso products for South Africa are distributed by a vast network of about 30 dedicated MBSA dealerships around the nation.

Based in Kawasaki, Japan, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC) is one of Asia's leading commercial vehicle manufacturers. In 2010, the company sold a total of about 140,700 vehicles including light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks and buses. Daimler AG owns 89.29% of MFTBC shares and various Mitsubishi group companies own 10.71% of MFTBC shares. MFTBC is an integral part of the Daimler Trucks Division of Daimler AG.