Mercedes-Benz New Zealand is bringing the iconic Unimog into the commercial market for the first time.
The truck provided years of service to the NZ Defence Force with over 400 Unimogs delivered between 1982 and 1986.
However, it was never available for other sectors in New Zealand until now.
The June 2018 Mystery Creek Fieldays was a launching pad for the fresh look Unimog.
It featured the U430 model with a Euro VI, 300 horsepower engine.
Daimler Truck and Bus NZ senior manager Pieter Theron says the showcasing drew a “very positive response”.
The sales team is now following up with a number of enquiries from potential customers.
The Fieldays display provided “a number of strong leads” and a number of further Unimog demonstrations are being arranged with “key companies in the industry”, Theron says.
The vehicle sets a “benchmark” and is well equipped for various industries.
The NZ launch features two models with various specifications including the UGE all-wheel drive off-roader and the UHE all-wheel drive heavy duty off roader.
It ranges in price from just under $200k to around $250k.
“Our aim is not to be the cheapest in the market, however, we bring a vehicle that’s like the Swiss Army Knife.
“Instead of buying three or four vehicles to do multiple jobs, this one vehicle can fulfil multiple purposes,” Theron says.
The public service sector, the energy sector, fire and rescue, airport services, agriculture and even road-rail applications are some areas where the Unimog will be targeted.
“The Unimog has a rich history in the defence force in New Zealand and we want to take that more to the commercial market and the private market.
“The question is why we’ve never done it before, but now is the time to make use of that opportunity and we’ll introduce it and expose it to many different sectors in the market including municipalities …
“There’s a number of applications where this vehicle will be an absolute winner and do great job,” Theron says.
