Bering straight for Britain?
Page 19
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Not so long ago Nino was the only truck maker from the Far East prepared to do battle in the ultra-competitive UK market. Then lsuzu and Mitsubishi decided to join the fray—and now Korean manufacturer Hyundai is expected to tempt UK operators with its heavy range which was recently unveiled in the US under the Bering banner. Brian Weatherley weighs up this new contender...
• Two weeks ago, at a minor American truck show in Georgia, a new range of medium and heavy trucks was modestly displayed under the brand name Bering. So what has that got to do with British hauliers? Nothing, except that the same trucks could well go on sale in the UK.
There is nothing like a bit of hyperbole when you're launching a company.
At the recent Southern Trucking Expo in Atlanta (see page 20), Bering Truck Corporation president William Anderson declared it "the first all-new US truck manufacturing company to be set up for more than 70 years".
Flattering
That description is somewhat flattering—Bering is, in fact, an independent assembler that has struck a deal with the Korean vehicle giant Hyundai to build and sell its products in the US under the Bering nameplate.
Initially. Bering will assemble heavy rigids and tractors from semi-knock-down kits. But at Atlanta it also sneak-previewed two lightweight VT trucks that will be rolled out next year and will further boost its production portfolio.
The company is already talking about producing 2,000 chassis in the first year and Anderson reports that "depending on market conditions, the production schedule can be expanded to produce up to 10,000 trucks per single shift annually".
Bering models sold in the US will be Americanised, with their Hyundai drivelines replaced by Cummins and Caterpillar engines, Eaton/Fuller gearboxes and Mentor/Eaton axles.
But what makes them stand out from the crowd is that they are all forward-control, or cab over models a configuration hardly in favour Stateside— with levels of driver comfort and interior layouts normally found on European models.
And thereby hangs a tale: for while Commercial Motor was at the Atlanta show we learned that a UK evaluation study is being considered—although Bering is remaining tight-lipped about it. So will Bering-badged Hyundais make it across the water from the US? Or could Hyundai decide to supply the UK directly itself?
Anderson offers the broadest hint to future developments when he says: "I think the idea is to launch in the US, get rid of the bugs, and then look at other world markets." Either way, CM was impressed by the build quality and level of comfort in the tractor and mixer prototypes shown at Atlanta. Even if the Americans do not take to them, we have no doubt that UK operators would give them a second look.
Reminiscent
The rest cab's interior layout is very reminiscent of a Hino, but without an over-abundance of the traditional grey Japanese plastic trim. Access into the cab is good, as is the driving position. And if the Bering is offered at the right price it should attract buyers.
Given the current turmoil in the Far East, manufacturers such as Hyundai are bound to be looking for new opportunities to boost their business. Time will tell if one of those opportunities is the British truck market.