http://www.ibi-plus.comwww.ibi-plus.com International Boat Industry | JUNE–JULY 2018 87
Discover all the advantages of Passport Nautique on
http://www.passportnautique.com1 PRO BADGE
TO VISIT 3 SHOWS
PARIS BOAT SHOW
8 - 16 Dec. 2018NAUTIC
GRAND PAVOIS
LA ROCHELLE
26 Sept. - 1 Oct. 2018LES NAUTICALES
LA CIOTAT
31 March - 8 April 2018experience great products. Their expectation for sound and
vibration carry over from their car and other products they interact
with daily. We focus on the entire boating experience, not just
the engine sound. This includes the sound level and quality from
any system on the outboard such as trim, steering, cowl latching,
etc. Not only do we focus on sound levels and keeping them as
low as possible, but also the tone. A great example of this is the V8
Verado’s Advanced Sound Control where the engine tone can be
selected from either Sport or Stealth mode.
Key to growth in emerging markets is service and maintenance
capabilities and spare parts support – has any work been
undertaken on that front
As we developed the four-stroke SeaPro outboards there has been
a lot of work done to create an extremely reliable outboard with
intuitive and easy maintenance. All four-stroke SeaPro models
include a graphic owner’s manual supplement that explains the
maintenance and basic servicing of the outboard with QR codes
to help the owner. Included with the engine is a SmartCraft gauge
that, in the event of a malfunction, will display the service code.
You had a sot launch of the new V8 SeaPro models at the
Shanghai Boat Show in China at the end of April. You entered that
market in 1976 – how is it evolving?
The SeaPro V8 line (200hp-300hp) that we unveiled there is aimed
at the commercial
sector; it features
increased durability
and a gear case
designed to handle
heavy loads and
to run for long
hours. We’re seeing
a big move away
from two- to four-
stroke technology
as commercial
operators – from
7m-8m fishing
boats up to 20m
passenger/taxi boats
- upgrade their fleets. Owners are attracted to easy maintenance,
they want to go further faster, so are migrating to higher
horsepower. We’re seeing meaningful growth in the mid-horsepower
and up – and average unit prices are growing along too.
Around 95% of the China market is commercial. We also must
grow the leisure fishing industry in China – that’s the way into the
leisure market.
What about the escalating trade tarifs? How are they impacting
your global business?
A trade war will be bad for business, jobs, and consumers, in most
industries. The pending tariffs are already creating price increases
and we buy a lot of aluminium and steel, so we’ll have to work hard
to mitigate the impact. We believe in free trade, that trade barriers are
bad – that it’s the consumers who are the ones to pay the price.
SMercury launched its V6 outboard range at
the Miami show in February