UD Trucks has served the Japanese market, and exported trucks to markets across Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle-East for many decades. However, it had yet to develop products for customers outside Japan, said Joachim Rosenberg, Executive Vice President, Group Trucks Sales & Marketing and JVs, APAC.

As a heavy-duty truck range, Quester provides a platform for a wide range of applications including mining, construction, distribution and long-haul transportation.

Combined with sourcing and manufacturing on the Asian mainland, UD Trucks will be able to deliver a modern, affordable vehicle range with superior performance tailored to the cost-conscious growth markets of the world, the company said. To ensure best possible uptime, Quester is supported by an expanded and upgraded distribution network providing UD Genuine Service and UD Genuine Parts amongst others.

The production of Quester will start during the third quarter of 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand. Besides serving the domestic Thai market, the plant in Thailand will also serve as an export hub for South East Asia and beyond. In the near future, the range will also be manufactured in China for the Chinese market and later on in India.