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MAKE & MODEL
Page 32
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TGX 18.400 BLS-EL XLX
After disappointing third-place finishes in the two previous tests. MAN has catapulted itself into the top spot. But the victory isn't as sweet as it could have been it has to be shared with last year's winner, Mercedes-Benz.
MAN again excelled in the cab category, scoring more points than any other marque thanks to its interior layout and finish. Top-quality material and lots of storage space make this cab a friendly environment to work in. Minor niggles still exist in the form of the floor-mounted Tipmatic gear selector and the under-bunk protruding fridge, but these don't affect the XLX cab in a major way.
Fly in the ointment
Driving the MAN can almost be described as a non-event -which is, in fact, a good thing. Noise levels are low, and the ride comfort is excellent. Gearchanges are smooth. and the big windscreen at the front offers great forward visibility. However, talking of visibility, there is one area that could have pushed MAN up above Mercedes changing its mirrors. This is something that comes up in almost every test, and will continue to do so until our opinions are taken into account. The lateral blindspot is massive due to the bulky mirrors function should prevail over form. This is why the MAN came fourth in the safety section.
With that out of the way, let's move on to the positives. The TGX scored highly in the productivity sector, mainly due to its having the largest payload capacity. Pulling this big payload is the latest Euro-5 EEV engine, which came third in the fuel consumption and power stakes.
The truck, being at the lower end of the power scale with 400hp, required more gearchanges than the others. However, as we have noted before, the changes are less noticeable than those in the other trucks.
MAN has provided an excellent tractor, which most drivers would be very happy with. It's good to drive and has no major flaws. Despite the fuel consumption being a touch higher than that of the Mere or the Scania, it makes up for it with its higher payload potential. If only it would do something about those mirrors...