At the halfway mark of 2018, the mood at Hino Australia’s Sydney headquarters is one of confidence.
“The success of the first half of 2018 has been built on the last three years of our single-minded focus on the customer, which includes our unique range of business solutions, Hino Advantage,” said Mr Bill Gillespie, Hino Australia’s General Manager of Brand and Franchise Development.
“We have capitalised on a growing market with our ongoing customer focus and expanded product line-up to capture 26.7% and 4.1% of the medium duty and heavy duty markets respectively year-to-date.
“Our sales success has also been driven by an expanded dealer network, led primarily by two new dealerships in Brisbane and Sydney and a new standalone Hino dealership in Melbourne.
“Acceptance of the 500 Series Wide Cab has been exceptional which is reflected in our order intake and reinforces our decision to offer Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and reverse camera as standard across the range,” said Mr Gillespie.
“We were the first, and are still the only, Japanese manufacturer to offer this exceptional safety level in the medium duty segment – its value to our customers is clearly reflected in the sales figures.
“The new 300 Series 4x4 has also been extremely popular, capturing 19% of the light duty 4x4 segment in just over seven months.
“In the bus side of the business, the timing couldn’t be better – most state governments are looking at a deconstructed model of bus transport, which is perfectly suited to the smaller bus size of the Poncho.
“It’s too early to go into details but we are quietly confident of our sales success continuing with a new product due in our showrooms by the end of the year,” hinted Mr Gillespie.
The single-minded focus on the customer is also witnessed in the parts and service departments of the business.
“As our truck park increases in size, it is essential that we provide our customer with the parts and service support they require,” said Mr Gillespie.
For Hino, this has included Hino Advantage initiatives such as the realignment of its parts pricing model and the expansion of its capped price service program, which have contributed to record parts sales.
Other elements of the Hino Advantage program include Hino Telematics, finance options, and customer support provisions via the dedicated Hino Customer Care Centre.
“Recently, we were delighted to accept the 2017 Parts Department of the Year and 2017 Service Department of the Year from Hino Motors Limited – it is the seventh consecutive year Hino Australia has won the coveted double crown of both awards,” said Mr Gillespie.
In its third year, Hino Australia’s sponsorship of the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship has also paid dividends.
“Hino brand recognition has lifted since the sponsorship began and it has provided us with immeasurable networking opportunities for our customers and dealers,” concluded Mr Gillespie.