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RENAULT G340ti 32

11th march 1993, Page 29
11th march 1993
Page 29
Page 29, 11th march 1993 — RENAULT G340ti 32
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The Maxter, launched at the Paris Motor Show last October, was the newest 8x4 chassis in the group but its cab hardly qualifies as new—Renault is the only manufacturer still using the "Club of Four" cab which dates back to the early 1970s. Age isn't necessarily a barrier to practicality, however, and the Maxter cab is well suited to tipper work. Its compact dimensions make it a sensible choice for the mix of urban streets and country roads on our test route. Its small size shows up mostly in lack of stowage room, but this is at a premium in many tipper cabs. An optional dual passenger seat probably won't find many takers in the UK but it didn't affect the cross-cab access which was better than most. That should also help make the cab easy to sweep out.

The Maxter's controls and instruments are a big improvement on previous Renaults, with echoes of the simple design in the Magnum. One unusual feature, tucked away in the fuse box, is an engine hour meter. More common on marine engines, it records cumulative engine running time in hours and minutes. This will be appreciated by construction and plant hire fleets.

Another drawback of the small cab is the high level of noise inside it. The exhaust stack, immediately behind the driving position, clearly contributed to this problem, but a whistling turbo was the most intrusive noise.

At 249kW (334hp), the Renault is down on power compared with the Mercedes and MAN. As often happens, the figures don't tell the whole story and the Renault actually felt quite lively compared with its German rivals. It recorded the highest overall average speed around our test route by a whisker: this is all the more surprising given how little distance the test vehicle had covered—much less than we would normally expect to find. The tight engine might also account for the poor fuel consumption which left the Maxter with the highest overall consumption.

Renault's B18 synchro gearbox must take some of the credit for the good performance; shift loads were light and lever movements precise, in contrast to the MAN. Changing ranges on the double-H gate was positive, with the lever falling back into the right plane for a shift up to 5L or 5H from low range.

Like all its rivals in the group the Maxter had steel suspension front and rear. But while its handling was comparable with its rivals, the ride was not so impres sive. The cab had a tendency to move sideways on its mounts at any speed which was a rather unsettling experience.

The Renault was the lightest in the group with a chassis-cab weight of 8.38 tonnes, nearly two tonnes lighter than the Mercedes and MAN. This, with its quick journey times, helped to lift the Maxter into second place in the productivity stakes, despite its poor fuel result.

Make: Renault. Model: Maxter G340ti.32. Outer axle . 6.59m.

Engine: Renault MIDR 062045 E/3 338/158 six-cylinder, in-line, charge-cooled.

Capacity: 9.8 litres. Max power: 249kW (334hp) at 2,000rpm.

Max torque: 1,472Nm (1 ,086Ib1t) at 1,200rpm.

Gearbox: Renault B18 Range R 18-speed synchromesh.

Rear ie: PMR 2041 hub-reduction axles with cross-axle diff-locks. Ratio: 6.31:1.

Tyre size: 13 R 22.5. Fuel tank: 300 litres (65gal). Unladen weight: 8,380kg.

Average fuel consumption: 52.31it/100km (5.40mp9).

Average speed: 48.6km/h (30.2mph).


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