UD Quester GKE

The cabin of the UD Quester GKE is not as modern and up to date to look at when compared to the exterior design of the truck. It has a very simple and functional approach in its design, thus staying true to its conventional Japanese roots of being purposeful. 

The UD Quester GKE comes with a two-spoke big steering wheel and a large but staid looking instrument console, the latter of which gets a very informative MID unit for various data. The wide looking center console houses the rectangular AC vents and housings for the 1-DIN audio system and switch in a very systematically arranged manner.

While this whole arrangement is very easy to use with every control being in easy reach of the driver, the layout looks quite boring and drab. Making the cabin look even more unappealing is the dull grey finish of the whole plastic.

The UD Quester GKE comes with a tall and intimidating looking design, which manages to look quite distinctive among the crowd of full-size trucks. There are a number of design cues that are unique to the UD Quester GKE, which also help in making it look quite fresh by commercial vehicle standards.

The front profile of the UD Quester GKE looks quite tall when viewed head-on. The truck has an aggressive front fascia, thanks to the huge two-part dual trapezoidal grille at the center. Half of the grille is shaped in a straight trapezoidal form with two rectangular horizontal slats, while the other half is designed in an inverted trapezoidal form with vertical upper edges, with it too getting two horizontal rectangular slats.

The side edges of the upper trapezoidal grille come with vertical protrusions, thus making the front fascia look quite wide. On the other hand, the side edges of the lower trapezoidal grille are flanked with slim arrow-head shaped headlamps, which come integrated with turn indicators and daytime running lights. These headlamps and lower part of the grille are mounted on the front bumper, which is huge and body-coloured. The lower outer corners of the front bumper come with small black plastic panels, which house round fog lamps.

The windshield present on the upper half of the UD Quester GKE has a rounded design towards the outer edges and comes with a three-wiper setup and two grab handles below it. Just between the windshield and the upper part of the grille, a rounded logo of UD is present.

While the front profile of the UD Quester GKE looks very distinctive and modern, the side profile of the cabin of the truck has been designed in a very generic manner. It comes with traditional design elements, like tapering down window waistline, two-part side windows and vertical rearview mirrors hinged on the door panels. The truck comes with bulging wheel arches which come with black cladding over them. Even the climbing steps at the bottom are finished in a black plastic theme, thus being in sync with the side cladding. 

The UD Quester GKE has been fitted with rubber springs between the leaf springs and rear axles, which work together in order to provide good comfort under varying axle loads. The truck also comes with rubber journaled V-stays and reduction rods, which help it in giving a smooth operation. Braking action is taken care of by a full air brake system which is assisted by an automatic slack adjuster and exhaust brake system.

Powering the UD Quester GKE is an 8-liter GH8 series diesel-powered engine, which has been derived from that of the Volvo D8. The engine is good enough to make a maximum power output of 330 bhp, and comes with the transmission option of a 9-speed manual gearbox.

Apart from the basic essentials of safety seat belts in the passenger cabin, the UD Quester GKE also has been equipped with ABS, which is there as an optional feature.

While the overall chassis of the UD Quester GKE is reliable and the smart exterior design gives it an individual appeal, this truck has a limited presence in the commercial market of the Philippines. However, for its positive attributes, it is one truck to surely watch out for.