Manitou launches value forklift range

Underlining its position as a full range provider and enhancing its offering to the industrial market,Manitou has launched a new range of IC engined forklifts â€" the MI range.

Designed and developed by Manitou in collaboration with the company's technical partner, the range will be assembled in China, and represents over 5,800 hours of research and development.

There are currently 12 models available â€" 6 diesel and 6 LPG â€" with capacities from 1.5 to 3.5t. There are also plans for higher capacity models to be developed in the future. Currently, the range covers three different chassis and mast sizes. The diesel units are powered by Yanmar engines and the gas units by Nissan engines, all of which are well proven products.

According to Manitou, the current economic climate means forklift users are not always looking for the most sophisticated and expensive units and the MI range has been designed with this in mind, offering value for money and favourable lifetime costs. Conforming to all relevant European legislative standards, the CE marked forklifts are, however, not just intended for the European market and will be available globally to take advantage of strong growth areas such as the BRIC economies.

Attractively styled, the range has been designed for straighforward, easy operation and maintenance. Components have been rigorously tested to guarantee reliability and durability.

Jean-Louis Hervieu, president of Manitou's IMH division, said: “This new range of industrial trucks serves as the foundation to our development. The correct positioning of MI products enables us to combine this with an array of services such as maintenance, financing, short-term rental and fleet management, which are extremely important in this competitive market. Fuelled by our experience in France, we can count on our workforce, know-how and tools to respond to this demand.”