US pontoon boat brand Bennington maps out Australian debut
Start planning the party: Floating “entertainment platform” locks in a November arrivalPontoon boat brand Bennington has launched in Australia as it attempts to grow the global market for its twin- and triple-hulled craft beyond its US home market.
The Bennington “entertaining platform” range will be sold and serviced by Bennington Boats of Australia, with plans for dealerships based at The Boat Works in Queensland, and sites in Sydney and Melbourne. The first boats arrive next month, with the full Bennington line-up landing in Australia over the next three months.
Bennington Boats of Australia general manager Andy Clayton said the brand locked in plans to introduce its range of pontoon boats here late last year, with sales of the class booming in the US.
“Extensive research and development and new product creation has seen the new era of this style of boat go from a stodgy 20ft twin-engine square platform to a megacruiser with twin outboards capable of speeds up to 56 mph (90km/h) with handling and performance similar to a deep-vee fibreglass boat,” Clayton said in a statement.
"We have now finalised everything with new Bennington vessels in build now heading for our shores.
"One of Bennington's premium 27 QX twin-engine, 10ft (3.0m) wide boats ordered by an Aussie client and retailed in excess of $300,000 will arrive in time for Christmas,” he said.
Boatsales.com.au contacted Clayton for comment.
Leisure activities
The boats will come to Australia with a 10-year warranty. The Bennington brand is owned by Polaris Industries, the US leisure activity group that also makes snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and trikes.
“The 2019 product line and 10-year warranty puts Bennington streets ahead of its competition but the new designs and performance make this style of boat incredibly well-suited to Australian boating," Clayton said.
"These vessels have incredible space and entertaining areas and will be equally at home in areas such as Pittwater, the Gold Coast's Broadwater, the Whitsundays and elsewhere.”
The US-market Bennington range starts from less than $US20,000 ($A28,000) for a basic twin-pontoon boat, ranging up to more than $US100,000 for top-of-the-line triple-pontoon models.
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