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Model: Mascott 160.65 4x2R
Page 59
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Testeesimpression: The 6.5-tonne Renault Mascott strikes us as the perfect compromise for those operators who don't want a 'little big truck' at 7.5 tonnes, but still need a 'big little truck with a three-tonne-plus payload. Its cab, a slightly wider version of the Master cab, sits neatly on a light-truck chassis; even with a rugged all-steel Thompson body on the back it still gave an impressive 3,180kg payload. Fit a lightweight alloy body and you'll add some 200kg revenue earning capability, which shouldn't be sneezed at.
While the cab is mounted quite high on the chassis, the staircase leading to it is easy to use.
The interior is typically van-like but seems tough enough for tipper work, right down to the heavy-duty rubber floor covering. The tacho sits neatly in the centre of the dash, which is a vast improvement over the fitting of the same unit in the Midlurn. There's not an over-abundance of storage space, but you do get some room under the bench seat and decent-sized door pockets.
We certainly couldn't fault the eagerness of the Mascots 3.0litre DXi diesel, which was invariably capable of holding one gear higher than we thought it would, pulling particularly strongly at around 2,800-3,000rpm. It took a while to get us up to 60mph but once there it had no trouble holding it and we like the simple speed limiter operated by a dash-mounted switch.
Even fully freighted the little Renault managed to crest our test hill in top, holding on to sixth tenaciously and digging in at 2,000rpm. Too bad there isn't any colour coding on the rev counter as we were left with no reminder of the sweet spot for fuel economy. With only 8K on the clock, the gearbox was understandably a bit clunky but the short, dash-mounted lever has a good pattern and provides for quick shifts.
The driver sits noticeably higher than in a Canter, resulting in better lateral visibility. The seat is certainly comfortable, although on our model the headrest needed to come forward as there seemed too much of a gap between the driver's head and the rest, which wouldn't help in the event of being tail-ended. The seat controls are big, chunky and user friendly. The mirrors are OK too, although it wouldn't hurt to make them bigger.
Out on the road the Mascott showed excellent manners, surefootedly bustling its way around roundabouts and through junctions, helped by its direct, positive steering. The hydraulically activated discs are effective and give a more progressive feel than some air operated systems.
At top speed the engine is a bit noisy and there were also a few stray vibrations coming off the dash and long mechanical PTO lever, which was about the size of a guillotine handle. The flip side is that the simple up/down tipping controls sited at the base of the driver's seat mean you can stand outside and see what's going on as you raise the body.
All in all we were left with the strong feeling that the Mascott should be on the short ist of any non-HGV tipper buyer who doesn't want a full-blown big-cab 7.5-tonner and doesn't fancy the equivalentweight 'Oriental' model from the likes of Isuzu or Mitsubishi.
Vive la Difference!