With about 30 days to complete a four-month test drive experience on Nigerian road, the JAC brand of vehicles may have passed the first three month assessment going by the verdict of the drivers including taxi operators.
Elizade Nigeria Limited had sealed a franchise pact with the manufacturer of JAC vehicles, a Chinese brand. But before introducing the vehicles in Nigeria, it released 18 JAC vehicles to a number of corporate firms and Lagos State taxi and cab operators association for the four-month test-drive.
It said it planned to re-write the story of Chinese vehicles in Nigeria with the JAC option.
The firm said the determination to offer its customers a cheaper but durable auto brand had taken it to China. And after a long period of search, it finally pitched its tent with JAC.
The 18 JAC vehicles released for the test-drive experience are10 passenger cars and eight light trucks.
The customers are expected to report their experiences to the company from time to time. And based on such reports, they would decide whether to eventually buy or drop the vehicles.
The participating companies are Evans Medical Plc, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Cybele Cosmetics Limited, Lagos State Taxi Drivers and Cab Operators Association, Jubaili Bros Nigeria Limited, Elizade Nigeria Limited and Nigalex Nigeria.
Others are Aluminum Extrusions Limited, Syndicated Metal Industries Limited and an individual motorist, Mr. Temidayo Olugbemi.
Elizade said they were selected based on their extensive daily use of vehicles for their business operations.
Some representatives of the participating firms spoke on their experience of the vehicles in the first three months of the test period.
For instance, Mr. Frank Odeh of Cybele Cosmetics whose company was given a J3, J5 and a truck, said, “We have used them to travel long distances and so far they have performed beyond expectations. The vehicles are good for the Nigerian roads.”
Temidayo Olugbemi of God-so-good Driving School, Ibadan, who said he had driven JAC J5 from Ibadan to Abuja and Ado-Ekiti, complained about the ground clearance of the car, which he found rather low.
But he said, “We’re okay with the performance of the vehicle,” adding that many had indicated interest in buying the vehicle.
The representative of the taxi drivers, Mr. Ganiu A. Alayo, who is also their image maker, described the JAC cars as fuel efficient.
The Managing Director, Elizade, Mr. Demola Ade-Ojo, who had earlier spoken at the presentation of the vehicles in Lagos, explained the company’s vision for the scheme.
He said, “In a bid to provide more vehicular options to our loyal ccustomers, we have taken the initiative to provide more cost effective solutions to their auto needs. “Consequently, alternative brands of vehicles outside of that which we were originally known would be introduced into the Nigerian market under a new division purposefully set up for this reason, Elizade Auto-Land.”
The Elizade boss said it went for the JAC brand because of the manufacturer’s track record in the auto industry.
“We reached out to popular automobile manufacturers, JAC from China, as their range of cars and trucks have been around for a while,” he said.
According to him, JAC is one of the leading auto manufacturers in China and also the country’s number one exporter of vehicles, exporting vehicles to over 130 countries.
“The JAC vehicles are a quality pocket friendly alternative to other vehicles currently in the Nigerian auto market,” he added.
Ade-Ojo said all the 18 vehicles were given to the partner companies to be used for either four months or 20,000 kilometres.
“A similar test was carried out in Brazil and the results were nothing short of amazing; this is why we need to ensure, not just the quality of the vehicles but their durability in the Nigerian clime,” he said.
He said Elizade would closely monitor the use of the vehicles from the beginning of the test operation to the end.
“JAC engineers will also be available throughout the test period to monitor the vehicle performance and give technical advice and feedback as regards the usage of these vehicles to their technical department in China for further improvement of their products,” he added.