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IVECO Australia has announced that the Stralis ATi, currently sold in Australia as a fully imported model, will from the fourth quarter of 2017 be assembled locally at the company’s facility at Dandenong in Melbourne and be known as the Stralis AT.

Selected components including mirrors, wheel angles, trailer connections, batteries, wheels and liquids will be sourced locally.

The Stralis AT variants will include a 6×4 prime mover and 6×2 rigid in a variety of specification options, and will join existing Stralis AS-L, Powerstar, ACCO and Delta and Metro bus chassis models, which are locally assembled or manufactured in Melbourne.

The addition of the Stralis AT to the production mix will see the Dandenong facility undergo investment in tooling and software to calibrate the AT’s adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning systems, and in doing so introduce new technology to the site.

Australian buyers will enjoy several benefits from the local production of AT models including reduced lead times from vehicle order to delivery, and the ability to customise vehicles by adding factory-fitted special options and local accessories.

IVECO Australia Managing Director, Michael Jonson, said the increase in local production highlighted the company’s commitment to Australian manufacturing.



“IVECO is one of only a few remaining commercial vehicle brands to manufacture here – this latest expansion in Australian-based production demonstrates the company’s commitment to having a strong local manufacturing presence,” Mr Jonson said.

“The addition of Stralis AT variants to the local production mix along with other initiatives will ultimately see a modest increase in the facility’s manufacturing workforce, so this is good for the local workforce but also for Australian truck buyers who can further reap the benefits that locally-manufactured vehicles provide.

“The expansion of local production not only reflects a strong belief from IVECO Australia that local manufacturing is sustainable, but the initiative is also strongly supported by IVECO’s parent company, CNH Industrial,” Mr Jonson said.

By Daniel Cotterill

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