Gargash Enterprises, the dealer for Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, has unveiled two new medium-duty trucks for the distribution segment.
The dealer launched the Mercedes-Benz Accelo and Atego trucks to select customers during an event held at its service and parts centre in Thoban, Fujairah
The Accelo 915 C is equipped with a four-cylinder engine producing 150hp, and comes with a payload of more than 5t. The vehicle can accommodate a driver and two companions.
Meanwhile, the Atego 1725 is a multipurpose truck, with a GVW of 17.1t. It is powered by a six-cylinder engine that produces 245hp. Also from the same range is the Atego 1418, equipped with a four-cylinder engine generating 177hp. With a GVW of 14t and a six-speed synchromesh gearbox with a two-speed rear axle, the Atego 1418 is geared towards inner-city and short distance distribution transport.
The trucks will also be officially launched soon in Dubai, which has more of a market for distribution vehicles than the Northern Emirates, said Thomas Rothe, commercial vehicles manager at Gargash Enterprises.
The Atego and Accelo trucks are best suited for small and medium-sized companies, supermarkets, and the like, he said. However, Rothe said that the distribution segment – long dominated by Asian brands – has historically been a very price-sensitive one, making it challenging for a premium brand like Mercedes-Benz to command much of a share.
“Mercedes-Benz has a huge product portfolio, but we were never able to [compete] in the light- and medium-duty segment here,” Rothe told MEConstructionNews.com. The Atego and Accelo, however, are assembled in the Mercedes-Benz facility in Brazil, making them well-poised to compete in the UAE distribution market. “They are well-proven trucks, and that’s why we decided to bring them here.”
When asked whether the trucks might compete with Fuso vehicles – also owned by Daimler and popular in distribution – Rothe replied that this was not likely to be the case, as both ranges are geared towards different weight segments. The new Atego and Accelo will be complementary to the Fuso product range, avoiding the possibility of in-house competition, he noted.
