etruck.com.au

The presentation by the people from NC2 at the Melbourne Truck Show was the first chance for many people to see what this new beast will look like. Unfortunately, there were no actual vehicles, in the metal, and even the pictures provided appear to be artists impressions.

For those who know the trucking industry in the US, it is probably easier to get an idea of what the new Cat trucks are going to look like. The body of the new CAT truck is that of the ProStar models sold as highway prime movers on the US market. The grill is very different, very industrial and with a large triangular Cat badge.

The truck’s appeal for the Australian market is clearly based on the strength and attractiveness of the Caterpillar brand in our market. We’re told the truck interiors will be very obviously Caterpillar in appearance, trading on the tough image the engine and excavator manufacturer has developed over many years.

This exercise, with Navistar using such a strong brand to introduce their own trucks into a new market, will give a strong indication of just how strong that brand loyalty is. There is a strong involvement by the Caterpillar organisation in this NC2 project, but it seems to be Navistar who are driving the idea in order to broaden the sales of their trucks and technology around the globe.