FAW Vehicle Manufacturers SA (Pty) Ltd has launched a new FAW medium-duty truck range specifically engineered for the local market and built South Africa for the southern and central African markets, accoording to a report by Cape Business News.

FAW Vehicle Manufacturers SA redesigned and re-engineered the China-version of the truck to meet local medium-duty truck demands. The FAW team paid special attention to cost efficiency combined with the best possible payload and the best turnaround time, without forgetting FAW’s quality build standards for durability and reliability, according to the report.

Imported from parent plants as SKD kits, the cab, chassis, axles and other sub-assembly components, together with the imported Cummins ISF engine and the ZF transmission, are all neatly assembled in the brand new Coega-based plant, accorting to the report.

The total capacity of the plant is 5,000 units per annum, according to the report.

The FAW 8.140 FL will be available from FAW dealers in a number of body derivatives – a drop-side, a taut-liner option, a van body, a tipper and a rollback and a dry-freight insulated body. Customers may choose to buy the chassis cab and fit their own truck bodies to suit many other applications, up to a GCM of 14 ton, according to the report.

The parallel chassis frame and smooth top flange chassis construction has a distinct low-weight advantage, especially when mounting a steel sub-frame cargo body. The locally built chassis passes through a special paint station to enhance the chassis’ dust and dirt endurance and longevity – a unique South African addition, according to the Cape Business News report.

The new range will enjoy a two-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and the full extent of sales and/or service from 36 local representative outlets across South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, according to the report.