It was billed as the biggest and best truck launch in the Middle East and the event not just lived upto but exceeded expectations. The new Volvo Trucks range was revealed at a spectacular and unique launch event held in Abu Dhabi — the capital of the UAE. In an unprecedented move that is set to shake up the Middle East truck market, the renowned Swedish manufacturer unveiled not one, but three brand new models – the FH, FM and FMX – to VIP customers and the media from around the region.
With its new range, Volvo Trucks is pushing the envelope for what a premium truck manufacturer can offer, with all three models offering the highest standards of reliability, handling, timesaving features, fuel-efficiency, safety and driver comfort. And the launch event certainly reflected the premium nature of the new range, with guests enjoying a uniquely Scandinavian experience during a spectacular evening launch ceremony at the iconic five star Yas Viceroy Hotel.
Off-beat experience
As befitting the biggest truck launch ever held in the Middle East, customers and the media had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to test drive the new models on both the acclaimed Formula 1 Yas Marina Circuit, as well as a challenging, purpose-built off-road circuit constructed next to the beautiful Abu Dhabi waterways.
Speaking at the launch, Lars-Erik Forsbergh, president of Volvo Trucks for the Middle East, said, “The Middle East is an extremely important market for Volvo Trucks – indeed, the FMX has been extensively tested in Oman and Saudi Arabia to ensure that it can tackle some of the roughest, most demanding, off-road conditions in the world. So we are confident that the new Volvo Trucks range will provide an unbeatable transport solution for customers right across this region, whatever their specific needs.”
The new range of Volvo Trucks exhibited in Abu Dhabi is the most advanced the world has seen, introducing a whole raft of innovative features to the market. These include the ground-breaking Volvo Dynamic Steering, which delivers exceptional handling – pretty much like a car’s – in all operating conditions, as well as intelligent I-Shift gearbox technology. At the same time, the new range features a totally redesigned cab, both inside and out, with improved seating position, increased usable window area and an innovative rear view mirror design, as well as a world-first in the truck world – a steering wheel with a neck tilt function.
Over a two week period, more than 1,000 VIP customers from across the Middle East and Africa visited Abu Dhabi and the specially created ‘Volvo Village’ at Yas Marina Circuit to discover three new models that, combined, constitute the most significant development in the truck world for a generation.
A full range
The Volvo FH has been Volvo Trucks’ flagship model for almost 20 years, accounting for more than 60 per cent of total sales, and the new model is already setting the world alight, having been named International Truck of the Year 2014. The new Volvo FM is a real all-rounder, the best truck in its class on the market. Taking reliability and productivity to the extreme, it is designed to provide the perfect platform for bodybuilders to customise it for any job.
Rounding off the trio of newcomers, the even more robust Volvo FMX construction truck is loaded with new features, such as an advanced rear air suspension, that benefit haulers as well as drivers. At the launch, it was announced that Middle East customers would be offered a training package
specially designed for construction drivers.
“Our new trucks are the result of huge investment in research and development, new technologies, and aerodynamic designs. These innovative solutions have a clear purpose: to help improve truck productivity and durability, and consequently customer profitability, while making life safer and more enjoyable for the driver,” said Forsbergh. Having driven the trucks on the Yas Marina Circuit and off road, one can safely vouch for the reliability, safety, comfort and durability of these vehicles.