Colin-on-Cars - JAC moves into rental market

JAC Motors moves into rental market.

The steady growth of JAC Motors as a player in the commercial vehicle market, despite the problems associated with an economy slowed by Covid, has taken a further step up the ladder with Trailarent taking on 50 units of its X200 forward-cab workhorses.

The growing market for bakkie rentals necessitated Trailarent to increase its workhorse fleet and Francois Briers, Managing Director, says: "In our research to expand our workhorse fleet, the X200 stood out amongst its competitors. It is the most powerful and affordable in its class and offers the biggest payload of all forward-cab bakkies. 

"Add the versatility and easy-loading of the X200, we have found the perfect bakkie to add to our customer offering."

The JAC X200 has a 2,8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, producing 80 kW at 3 600 r/min and 240 Nm torque between 1 800 r/min and 2 000 r/min. The maximum torque available at low rpm allows drivers to minimise gear changes, reducing fuel usage. 

The average fuel consumption of the JAC X200 is 9,5 l/100 km (combined cycle).

Demanding

"The X200 boasts the ideal engine capacity for our country's demanding conditions. The reliable 2,8-litre turbo-diesel engine produces 30% more power than its direct competitors, resulting in outstanding functionality," says Karl-Heinz Göbel, CEO of JAC Motors South Africa.

The JAC X200 has a minimum turning radius of 5,4 metres  and the ride height and ultra-flat low deck with drop sides makes loading and unloading easyt. The forward-cab design also incorporates advantages such as a larger load area and the easy entrance and exit for drivers and crew.

Welding

The JAC X200 benefits from the company's new chassis stamping and welding treatment process, developed for the heavy-duty ladder-frame chassis used in its N-Series truck range. Its robust ladder-frame chassis design, double-wishbone independent front suspension and the optimum use of axle capacities for ideal payload weight distribution enhance driveability.

"The no-nonsense work attitude of the X200 explains why it is such a favourite with our customers. Its powerful engine, excellent payload and fuel efficiency make it the obvious workhorse choice for our business operation," adds Briers.

Stowing

The JAC X200 offers an air-conditioned cab with cloth seats, headrests and a height-adjustable steering wheel. The centre seat's backrest folds down, offering ample stowing space. The X200 comes standard with a Radio/MP3 player with Bluetooth and a USB.

"Our reliable and versatile X-Series product range meets ever-increasing customer expectations and ticks all the right boxes to be the star performer in any transport fleet. We welcome Trailarent into our family and wish them many happy kilometres with our popular X200 workhorses," adds Göbel.

It comes standard with the company's 5-year/150 000-kilometre manufacturer warranty, including a 5-year/60 000-kilometre service plan.

A full range of accessories is available for the JAC X-Series product range including other body configurations, such as tippers, refrigeration units, campers etc.

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 JAC Motors grows local footprint

Ahead of the imminent launch of the JAC T9 2,5-litre turbo-diesel large body double-cab, JAC Motors South Africa is showing a healthy sales performance on local shores, realising the exact sales numbers for the first semester of 2021 as recorded for the entire 2020 calendar year. 

Since its market inception in 2017, its sales steadily grew despite new car sales declining by 2,8% and 21,9% in 2019 and 2020. 

JAC Motors has grown its local dealer footprint over the last year from 30 to more than 50 dealers countrywide and in Namibia, making it more convenient for customers in the country's outskirts to service their bakkies and trucks.

 

"The South African market is an important right-hand-drive market for the company, which is evident in the latest technology products being available to the local market," says Karl-Heinz Göbel, CEO of JAC Motors South Africa. "Just a few weeks ago, we delivered our new N55 EV battery-electric truck to an ecstatic customer." 

During the first semester of this year, the company recorded year-over-year sales growth of 36,1%, with almost 300 000 units sold in the Chinese domestic market. The sales of commercial vehicles increased to 165 552 units, representing a 16,1% growth. 

Passenger car sales increased by 78.8% during the same period, while electric vehicle sales increased to 55 611 units, a 225,1% year-over-year growth. 

Export sales showed a 125,8% year-over-year growth, signalling JAC Motors' ambition to establish an extensive global footprint. The company exports left and right-hand-drive vehicles to more than 130 countries, including South America, Africa, the Middle East, Central- and South-East Asia and Eastern Europe.                                                                                                         

JAC Motors' sales performance for 2020 in the Chinese domestic market recorded an impressive 7,6% year-over-year increase despite new-vehicle sales declining by 1,4% during the same period, mainly due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

"The inspiring performance of our Brand globally means the latest technology products, such as the exciting all-new T9 2.5-litre turbo-diesel large body double-cab, will soon be introduced in the local market," concludes Göbel.

 Fleet solution to AARTO regulations

With the implementation of the AARTO Amendment Act now imminent, business operations needing to transport workers have little time in which to act – transporting those workers on the back of a bakkie has been illegal for some time, but will be vigorously policed under AARTO. 

A solution to this problem is JAC Motors' X200 2,8-litre turbo-diesel workhorse in a double-cab configuration that can accommodate six people inside the cab and still offer a 1,3-tonne payload with a large load area. The X200 is the only forward-cab workhorse in the local market that offers a double-cab derivative in this segment of the market. 

The four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine mounted under the front seats produces 80 kW at 3 600 r/min and 240 Nm of torque between 1 800 r/min and 2 000 r/min. 

"The X200 double-cab allows you to safely and legally transport workers and goods with the same 1,3-tonne payload the single-cab workhorse competitors are offering," says Karl-Heinz Göbel, CEO of JAC Motors South Africa. "Our product also features a powerful 2,8-litre turbo-diesel engine, anti-lock braking, a factory-fitted air-conditioner and, for just over R300 000, it retails for less than the competitors' single-cab workhorses." 

A forward-cab design is more practical than a standard bakkie and its main benefit is the increased load box size with a much larger load volume, making these rugged workhorses ideal for business and industrial use. 

The X200 offers an elevated driving position allowing the driver to see and judge traffic better on the open roads, and it further improves visibility when parking at loading bays. A forward-cab design also incorporates other advantages that drivers and fleet owners appreciate, such as the easy entrance and exit for drivers and crew in many load stop-and-drop situations. 

Front- and rear crumple zones, side-impact protection bars, height-adjustable headlamps and an immobiliser further add to occupants' safety. Remote-controlled central locking with motion-lock at 40 km/h and an engine that cannot ignite when the clutch is not engaged further contribute to the safety credentials of the X200.  

Although the X200 was developed for the harshest working conditions, it features standard equipment such as a height-adjustable steering wheel, power windows, a Radio/CD/MP3 player with Bluetooth, and speakers fitted in the front doors. It also offers ample stowing space located in various places inside the cab. 

The X200's double-wishbone independent front suspension and ladder-frame chassis design allow for excellent manoeuvrability and solid handling regardless of its load size. In addition, the maximum use of axle capacities for ideal payload weight distribution also contributes to optimal handling in heavy urban traffic and on open roads. 

"Our affordable X200 double-cab, which is unique in its market segment, is the best urban logistics solution for transport operators. Its powerful and reliable engine, balanced transmission, excellent payload, low running cost, and people carrying ability make it an asset in every transport operator's stable," says Göbel.