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Mery 1-ton bid for UK market
A NEW RANGE of light vehicles from Mercedes-Benz has been announced for Europe covering the 2.5 to 3.5 tons gvw category.
It represents a complete redesign of the Bremen-built series and will take Mercedes into the 1-ton payload sector for the first time in Britain.
Although the range is available immediately throughout the rest of Europe, the righthand drive version for Britain will not be on sale until November.
At the moment the Bremen factory is producing around 80 of the new vehicles per day for Europe.
The redesigned range of 207D, 307D, 208 and 308 models consists of four basic variants.
They are available in integral van and chassis-cab form with the lightest grossing 2.55 tonnes (2 tons lOcwt) and the top of the range, 3.5 tonnes (3 tons 9cwt).
Full details of the new contenders from the three-pointed star will be published by CM at the time of the UK release later in the year.
CM staff have driven the left-hand drive version in the Harz mountains and their findings will appear in No vember.
As a tentative guide to the price of the new vehicles in Germany, the cheapest is the 3.05m (10ft) wheelbase 207D chassis cab which costs Dm 15,255 (C3,807).
The 3,35m (lift) 307D high roof integral van is Dm 21,315 (E5,326). which have been dropped down to give a low profile.
This not only looks neater but provides better protection for the control equipment.
A redesign of the jackbox has allowed a reduction in the overall length, which is claimed to make the vehicle more manoeuvrable.