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Performance: The Midlum was the oldest vehicle on test and
Page 50
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while this might have manifested itself in other areas of the truck (see Driver comfort), performance wasn't compromised and we found the Renault to be a fairly smart performer, Although equipped with the same five-speed transmission as the majority of the trucks on trial, its overall gearing meant the engine was turning at 21200rpm at 70mph in top gear, indicating similar overall gearing to the MAN and Iveco. As with all trucks equipped with this transmission the gap between third and fourth is quite large and this hampers driveability, particularly when fully laden.
Fuel effidemy: That said, the gearing is generally well matched to roadspeed and a very wide green band on the rev counter ensured the Midlum never had to be pushed too hard to get the best from it around the route. It turned in the best fuel figure in the group by a comfortable margin with an overall figure of 14.33mpg. This was matched by a very impressive overall average speed which was only just behind the fast moving lveco Eurocargc, Braldng and bandit); While the Midlum gained points for its performance and fuel economy, it
lost them for its ride quality. Thankfully the seat gave plenty of support, but we still found the chassis hit the bumps very hard with a resultant jarring in the cab.
Fortunately the general handling of the Midlum was up there with the leaders. The handy sized steering wheel gave a nimble feel and made for precise positioning of the vehicle on the road, while the brakes gave a very good account of themselves despite the lack of an engine brake. Good feedback through the pedal combined with a decent angle of travel to give a commendably controlled feel.
Driver comfort: The Midlum's cab is definitely best experienced when the vehicle is new. Put a few miles and umpteen drivers through the cab and the green tinted colour scheme begins to look almost mildewed.
The quality is adequate—we didn't notice any bits falling off— but the light colours pick up every stain and dribble, which meant the Midlum was a definite turn off when climbing aboard. Once seated, however, the Midlum presents itself as a decent place to spend a day or so. There's good adjustment on the suspended seat and we found it offered plenty of support.
Clutch control left a bit to be desired, mainly due to the lot point on the clutch being so high, although the pedal was light enough and easy to use once we'd become accustomed to the actuation.
Our test truck was equipped with the sleeper version of the cab. The bunk is stowed against the rear wall of the cab so the driver has to fold the seats f fat before bedding down for the night. With the bunk down there's less space than in the identical Daf cab, but the bunk seems bigger so that makes sense.
SPECIFICATION Engine type Renault MIDR 40226 B4 2143 Maximum power 150hp (112kW) Maximum torque 500Nm (369Ibft) Transmission ZF S 5-42 5-speed Rear axle ratio 3.70:1 Cab type SIeeper Body manulacturer Boalloy Fuel tank size 130 litres