I’m wandering around the Brisbane Truck Show (BTS) when I run into a friend of long standing who knows that I’ve played with just about every new truck that’s come onto the market in the last 15 years.
“Hey mate,” he says. “Have you test driven one of those Sitrak trucks? I’m thinking about buying one.”
Unfortunately, I haven’t, but that was incentive enough to go and have a look at the Sitrak stand.
The company was at the BTS last time around with just one truck. This time they had two – a BEV currently undergoing Australian testing, which promises 600kWh and a range of up to 450 kilometres – and the one Brad was interested in, the C9H prime mover.
The engine is a mouthful: WP15H660E62A putting out a very decent 660hp, which places it right up there with the big players in town, and above many of them. It runs through a tried and proven ZF 12-speed AMT and sports diff and cross locks for tough going.
The blurb also mentions other well-known suppliers including Bosch and Wabco.
Safety features all the usual acronyms such as EBS, ACC, AEBS, HSA and FCWS.
Sitrak has been in the country for a few years now, initially with buses before moving into the truck sphere.
Their first big truck was a 540hp job with a GCM of 90 tonnes (which continues) and is now joined by the C9H with a GCM of 110 tonnes, which makes it applicable for everything up to and including road trains.
They also have trucks ranging from small 180hp 4x2s to 10 pallet trucks. You name it, Sitrak can provide it.
Additionally there will be a number of new models coming later this year as the company moves to Euro 6. Now, for the two of you who may not know, Sitrak is a Chinese company who employ 120,000 staff.
For possibly many more unaware truck citizens, the company is the biggest truck manufacturer in China and over the past six or seven decades have sold over six million trucks worldwide.
Last year Sitrak sold 360,000 units to 110 countries. So, while they may be new to us, they are well known in many other parts of the world.
Now, some of you may say, “But it’s Chinese!” – whatever that may infer. I’m old enough to remember when the Japanese entered the car market and they were rubbished.
Now, if you want the best car in the world and you’re not worried about some ‘prestige’ logo, you would walk straight into the nearest Lexus dealer.
It’s a similar story for the Koreans. And now the Chinese have arrived en-mass in the car market.
The first Great Wall product was definitely not the success they’d hoped for.
Now I see GWM utes all over the place.
Drive more than a block anywhere and there’s a fair chance you’ll see an MG.
BYD now outsell Tesla in Europe.
They’ve been joined by many other Chinese brands and we’re buying them in their droves.
Why is Brad interested in a Sitrak? Price is why.
Around $300,000 is going to get you a C9H on the road.
It’s a fair bet that resale prices will be low compared to other brands until the company proves itself but that doesn’t worry Brad.
“I just want it for five years mate, and to me it’s a good equation no matter the resale value.”
And me?
Thanks to my conversation with Brad, I’ve set up a test drive in the C9H. Stay tuned.