With strong sales, increasing investment in dealerships and an ongoing focus on customer service, Hino Australia has rated its first half of 2017 as strong in a growing and increasingly competitive market.
“June was a record breaking month for the truck industry and the overall market sales of 3879 units around the country was also the highest June number since 2009,” said Bill Gillespie, Brand and Franchise Development Manager for Hino Australia.
“Likewise, deliveries of 1233 light duty trucks bettered a previous Australian market sales number set in 2005.
“Buoyed by the all-new 500 Series Wide Cab, Hino led the growth in the medium duty segment – while the size of the market decreased by 64 units (8%) compared to June 2016, our volume remained the same and we were the only Japanese manufacturer to achieve growth in this segment year-to-date.
“In June, Hino had record retail orders, recording the highest one month order number since June 2015 primarily led by the all-new 500 Series Wide Cab, which has contributed to our significant year-on-year growth in both the medium duty (11.2%) and heavy duty (62%) segments.
“The success of the 500 Series Wide Cab has been so significant that we currently lead the medium duty market in South Australia and Tasmania for the year, and are in second position in Victoria and the Northern Territory by relatively narrow margins.”
Another highlight for Hino has been the strong interest in its new Poncho bus, especially as Australia is the first market outside Japan for it.
“The first Poncho has hit the streets of the Holmview estate in Brisbane southern suburbs.”
Customer experience is another area of focus for the Japanese manufacturer.
“At Hino, we say we are driven to do more for our customers – an example of this is our in-house customer care centre, which is the only one of its type in the Hino world.
“After a year of operation, and a concerted effort across the business to focus on our customers and their experiences, we have seen an increase in positive customer outcomes after their enquiry, and a reduction in the time taken to resolve enquiries.
Gillespie said Hino is forecasting a strong end to 2017 with the expected arrival of Amazon forecast to further drive the ‘last mile’ delivery market and fuel light duty truck and van sales.
Hino also anticipates a seasonal lift in its light duty trucks, particularly the
Built-To-Go models, in spring.
“With the launch of our much anticipated 300 Series 4x4 model and six full months of 500 Series Wide Cab sales, we are confident of reaching our sales targets for the year.
“A strong focus in the second half of 2017 will be the continued investment in our dealer network in locations around the country including Coffs Harbour, Sydney and Melbourne, with additional sites to be confirmed in the coming months,” concluded Mr Gillespie.