Russian GAZ Launches Sales of its Commercial Vehicles in Morocco
GAZ, a leading manufacturer of commercial vehicles in Russia, has started selling a range of commercial vehicles in Morocco, in cooperation with its new distribution partner, Africa Motors (Auto Hall Group).
The group hopes to make of Morocco a platform to further develop its business in the rest of African countries.
The first model put on sale in the 50 Africa Motors dealerships throughout the country was the GAZelle NEXT chassis, equipped with a 2.8-litre diesel engine and offered with a single-row or double-cab.
The universal basic chassis of GAZelle NEXT allows the creation of more than 100 types of special vehicles.
The GAZelle NEXT line is a line of light commercial vehicles combining excellent functionality and modern technical solutions, GAZ said in a press release.
Christian Kremer, SVP Global Sales and Marketing, said “Together with our partner, Africa Motors, we took the first step – we’ve signed a distribution agreement and launched sales of GAZelle NEXT chassis in Morocco”.
“Soon, we will bring to the market a full range of modern and multifunctional GAZelle NEXT, on which a base can be built for over 300 types of special vehicles. We also consider Morocco as a significant milestone of our export strategy that can help us to further develop our business in African countries. And in this matter, we rely on efficient cooperation with our partner,” he said.
Hamid Benkirane, Africa Motors Brand Manager on his part said, “We have big ambition for GAZ in Morocco and Africa. Africa Motors wants to make GAZ the leading brand in the LCV segment in Morocco. In order to achieve this ambition, Africa Motors is giving GAZ its more than 100 years’ experience in the automotive business, its sales and technical staff and the largest automotive network with more than 50 points of sales and service. Africa Motors covers the whole territory of the Kingdom.”
According to press reports, the manufacturer offers a three-year warranty.
Since the visit of King Mohammed VI to Russia in 2016, trade between the two countries witnessed a remarkable progress, going up from $200 million to over $1.6 billion.
The royal visit highlighted by the signing of several strategic partnership agreements covering economic, cultural, security, military, technological and other sensitive sectors.
GAZ is Russia’s top producer of commercial vehicles. It supplies its products to Latin America, Africa, Middle East, Europe and Asia. The company’s product portfolio includes light and medium-duty commercial vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, buses, engines and over 500 types of special vehicles.
