Following its official launch in Mexico and due to current and potential demand, DFAC Dongfeng plans to expand its Parts Distribution Center in Querétaro during 2025, a strategy based on strengthening after-sales service, along with the introduction of new models and technologies.

“When we arrived in the country, we considered that we had enough space to store our parts stock, but today we realized that it is no longer enough. Today we have a portfolio of 11 vehicles that require an excellent level of spare parts, but we also see this in the future due to the growth in demand,” Julio Reyes, DFAC Dongfeng After-Sales Director, explained in an interview with T21.

Reyes also stated that this new location will continue to be in Querétaro, due to logistics and accessibility issues , since the entity is a key point for the distribution of spare parts for DFAC Dongfeng.

“When we arrived in the country, we wanted to differentiate ourselves from Asian brands, mainly, and to do so, we established a six-pillar strategy in the after-sales area : service, vehicle warranties, spare parts, telemetry, roadside assistance with roadside rescue and a professional distributor network. This was accompanied by a strong business relationship with Cummins,” he explained.

The points mentioned were the basis for launching the marketing of units of the Chinese brand, and are those that have outlined the direction of the company, in the search to be more than a vehicle supplier, but a facilitator of mobility solutions.

Reyes explained that in the industry in general, spare parts are a problem that is lacking. In response to this need, DFAC Dongfeng has prepared to have all the necessary components in its warehouse, including assembled cabins to handle any eventuality. On the other hand, the service has been regionalized because the needs of the fleets are not the same in all regions of the country.

“DFAC Dongfeng in Mexico combines the best of both worlds, the quality of vehicles from the Chinese plant, with the support and after-sales service provided by a team in Mexico that has extensive experience in the national market. This is an important component to change the paradigm in cargo transportation ,” said the after-sales specialist.

Another major factor in the transformation of freight transportation in Mexico is the openness that entrepreneurs dedicated to this activity are having to explore new brands that have different proposals from the traditional ones. “ The new generations are no longer focusing the business exclusively on profitability , but on the care of the operators and this is precisely where we actively participate with new technologies that include safety tools that help reduce accidents,” said Reyes.

For next year, the brand plans to expand its dealer network, as well as introduce new models, both diesel and new technologies.

“After-sales service will continue to be one of the fundamental pillars for Mexico and is the core of all our strategies,” said Philipp Heldt, the company’s general manager.

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An after-sales service approach to support all units that may be placed in the Mexican market, as well as an organization of authorized master dealers to market the units in the country, are the differentiators that Dongfeng will offer in the Mexican market.

At the opening of its corporate offices in the Santa Fe area of ​​Mexico City, Gabriel de Uriarte Occelli, CEO and President of the Board of Directors of Dongfeng Camiones México, emphasized that this new business entity will represent the Dongfeng DFMC division (business unit of Dongfeng Motor Corporation), which focuses on Class 6 to 8 trucks, as well as vocational trucks, which will be the portfolio with which they will work in the Mexican market.

De Uriarte stated that although there is a Dealer Agreement with another business group that has sales for the Querétaro region, State of Mexico and Mexico City , talks are already underway to achieve the same strategy for the market and ensure that customers are not affected in the after-sales and product sales strategies.

With more than 20 years of experience in the transportation industry, Gabriel de Uriarte anticipated that there is a defined strategy for entering the Mexican market, where the presence of other Chinese brands has been analyzed and areas of opportunity have been identified.

“The market is hungry for serious brands that really have a structure and a corporate order, and I see an opportunity there, because today there are brands that are involved in scandals and others whose distributors are in the backyard, that is where we think we can take part,” said Gabriel de Uriarte.

The route that Dongfeng DFMC will follow in Mexico is the implementation of a service network and for this purpose a parts warehouse has been implemented that will initially have 2,500 square meters (m2), by 2027 it will reach 5,000 m2 and in 2030 it will have 8,000 m2.

“Although we will initially bring 130 trucks starting next November, our service support will consider support as if we had 500 units on the market ,” anticipated the CEO of Dongfeng Trucks, who also shared that talks are underway with various business groups to end the year with six distributors, although the goal is to have coverage with 24 points nationwide in the short term.

Dongfeng Trucks’ initial portfolio will consist of the GX tractor units, a 6×4 configuration model with a 560 horsepower (hp) Cummins engine, 2,650 Nm of torque and Eaton automatic transmission.

The other model to be introduced to the national market is the KX, which has the same power and torque, but with manual transmission and will be available in diesel and natural gas.

The 130 units of the GX and KX models that will be introduced to the Mexican market starting in November will have engines that comply with EURO 6 regulations, which will be in force in Mexico starting in January 2025. “Currently, the units being introduced are EURO 5.”

The portfolio also includes the KR model, a 260 hp rigid truck with ZF transmission (an electric version is available), the KL, also a rigid truck with a 340 hp engine (an electric version is also available), and the KC vocational 6×4 arrangement with a 400 hp engine and 1,800 Nm of torque.

Clear accounts

In Mexico, Dongfeng Motor Corporation currently has a presence with its DFAC division to serve the light truck segment and trucks up to Class 4 , which is represented by a group of investors from Central America. The heavy truck division called DFMC is currently represented by the master dealer Energon, as well as Dongfeng Trucks , which has representation for the rest of the national territory.

Guochao Liang, representative of Dongfeng Motor Corporation, described that the structure as they are present in Mexico is oriented to serve all market divisions where they have a presence, and that even in China, they are served with different production plants.

De Uriarte Occelli anticipated that there is already an assembly plant in Jalisco , where the tractor trucks that will arrive in CKD (Complete Knock Down) will be assembled and that will allow the tractor trucks to be assembled on Mexican soil.

“We are in talks with our colleagues at DFAC and even with Energon to take advantage of economies of scale to assemble all the trucks imported at this plant, and in this way be more competitive. These are the actions we want to send to customers that they can trust the brand,” described Gabriel de Uriarte.

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PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Q. ROO.-  DFAC Dongfeng, Chinese heavy vehicle manufacturer, officially started operations in 10 Latin American countries, with a total of 80 contact points projected for this year.

Its strategy in Mexico will be based on the opening of 35 dealerships by 2024; In July alone, it will conclude with 10 new locations in operation, in response to the dynamism perceived in the national market, in addition to the growth that has been observed in electronic commerce, coupled with the growing need to increase merchandise movements derived from the relocation of manufacturing centers in Mexico ( nearshoring ).

The brand arrived in the country through Grupo Magna, exclusive representative and importer for the region, who subscribes to after-sales service as the flag to penetrate the competitive Mexican market .

The product portfolio that DFAC Dongfeng launched includes pick-ups, buses, cargo and passenger vans, light and medium trucks, as well as tractor trucks. Additionally, in the near future the company plans to incorporate electric vehicles. “The launch lineup includes 11 models and 16 different versions with gasoline and diesel engines, the latter comply with Euro 6 regulations (depending on the country),” explained Phillip Heldt, general manager of DFAC Dongfeng Mexico, during the official launch. Of the brand.

Heldt explained that DFAC Dongfeng’s commitment in Mexico is to provide personalized and immediate attention to each of the clients who purchase a unit of the brand.

“We have preventive and corrective maintenance programs , in addition to availability of spare parts, as well as immediate access to essential parts and components to guarantee the continuous operation of the units, this thanks to our parts warehouse located in Querétaro. As well as an efficient distribution network that minimizes waiting times, at the same time, it has trained technical personnel,” commented the manager.

For his part, Agustín Lama, CEO of Grupo Magna, stressed that the company is 100% focused on customer service, complying with world-class standards leveraged with specialized human talent. “We focus on the after-sales and customer service area, because we know that commercial vehicles are dedicated to generating dividends for customers,” he stated.

Likewise, as part of its strategy, DFAC Dongfeng signed alliances with financial institutions that have various financing programs .

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