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Ateco bolsters Chinese assault with LDV
Sydney-based distributor expands stable of Chinese marques with recent addition of LDV brandAteco Automotive has taken over the importation and distribution of Chinese light commercial vehicle brand LDV.
The company officially assumed control of LDV from its previous importer, White Motor Corporation (WMC), on July 8. It's now planning an official re-launch of the brand in October.
While the Australian LDV range currently comprises the V80 van in three different formats (a short-wheelbase low-roof model, plus two long-wheelbase models in mid-roof and high-roof variants), Ateco representative Daniel Cotterill says there are plans to expand the offering with a number of new models.
"While we're going to start with what we've got we're going to move on to other things in the pipeline, including 11- and 14-seat buses, and a G10 van," he says.
"The G10 is something similar to an iLoad competitor but it will also be available as a seven-seat people mover. That's a real attraction for us as it starts to move us into the passenger area."
Cotterill says there are also plans to introduce an LDV ute.
"We'd also like to – and SAIC has definite plans to – launch a ute here in the next 18 months to two years," he says.
"SAIC has a bunch of folk headed our way soon to look at our local market conditions for that purpose."
An optional automatic transmission will also become available across the entire V80 range by the end of the year.
Cotterill says Ateco is set to expand LDV's national dealer network and roll out more competitive pricing.
"I think there was a carry-over of about 18 dealers from the previous distributor but we'd like to launch with a national dealer network of 30 with a view to growing that to 40 by the end of the year," he says.
"The entire price list is a matter of negotiation with SAIC at the moment, but we have a pretty good indication we'll be able to start at sub-30k driveaway."
Under WMC the V80 was priced at $30,800 plus on-road costs for the short-wheelbase model and $37,990 and $39,990 respectively for the long-wheelbase mid-roof and high-roof models.
If Ateco does indeed secure that pricing, it will certainly sharpen its claws for the fight against existing contenders like Toyota's HiAce, Renault's Trafic and Master, Fiat's Scudo and Ducato, Hyundai's iLoad, Volkswagen's Transporter and Crafter, and Ford's Transit, among others.
Ateco's control of LDV will also undoubtedly realise synergies between the brand and its other Chinese LCV brands, Great Wall and Foton – especially as it focuses on LDV's dealer network.
Cotterill says he expects the majority of the 18 existing LDV dealers to continue under Ateco, while the firm will be starting with a fresh shipment of stock.
LDV, Great Wall and Foton sit alongside Chery, Lotus and Ssangyong in the Ateco Automotive stable, as well as Maserati – the latter distributed through Ateco's offshoot, European Automotive Imports.
Ateco only recently took on Foton Utes in this country, acquiring the rights from FAA, while it is also ploughing considerable effort into Foton Trucks, which it secured from Transpacific Industries Group in late 2012.
Ateco is no stranger to establishing relatively unknown brands in Australia – in addition to its current crop of relative newcomers it previously saw Korean marque Kia spearhead the local market, before control was handed back to the manufacturer.
LDV, which original denoted Leyland DAF Vans, was formerly a British concern until Shanghai Motor Commercial Vehicle Company (SMCV) purchased it in 2009. That operation in turn is owned by Chinese auto giant Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), which manufactures millions of vehicles each year and has joint ventures in place with General Motors and Volkswagen.
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Written byRod Chapman
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