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SUPERMAN
Page 62
Page 63
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MAN has gone to the top of the high-horsepower league with the arrival of its new TGX/TGS heavy truck range. Andy Salter reports.
At the RAI Show in Amsterdam this October, MAN will take the wraps off an updated version of its heavy truck range, with a flagship 680hp version offering a colossal 3,000Nm of torque. More about the new line-up shortly — but first, that new engine.
Born out of a joint venture with crane manufacturer Liebherr, the new 16.2-litre. V8 engine offers maximum power of 680hp and peak torque of 3,000Nm between 1,100 and 1,500rpm. A common-rail fuel system is employed and the power unit has twin turbos —one for each cylinder bank —delivering increased boost.
The performance of this new machine is such that it delivers more than 600hp at just 1,40Orpm.
Selective catalytic reduction
As you would expect, the V8 is a good deal heavier than its D26. 12.6-litre stablemate — by some 500kg — and ii uses selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology to meet the latest reduced emissions legislation. While the 680hp motor is set to capture all the headlines, in reality MAN is only expecting to sell 500 or so a year and it is the rest of the updated range that will be more attractive to most UK operators. From the outside the improvements appear limited to a tarting up of the grille and some new mirrors, but MAN has changed 35% of the parts on the range and invested more than €100m (£68m) in it.
TGS and TGX
The TGA range is now split into TGS for short-haul operation and TGX for long distance, and the main difference between the two is the type of cab used.
The TGS has the narrow version of the cab available in day (M), sleeper (L) and high-roof sleeper (LX), while the TG X uses full width cabs — XL, XLX and XXL.
All the cabs have been given a decent makeover inside and out, with improvements to the grille and headlamps freshening up the look, and a new mirror arrangement improving rearward visibility and aerodynamics.
MAN says the styling changes to the cab have resulted in a 2% fuel saving through better aerodynamics, while the German engineers say that noise intrusion has been reduced by 30% through improvements to the A-pillar and better shaping of the mirrors.
Inside, the cab benefits from new softtouch material and an improvement to the storage while driving, although on the pre-production vehicles we inspected there remains a bit of work to be done on some of the fixtures and fittings.The cab remains very well arranged and the whole interior has been given a major boost in quality. The curtain thickness has been addressed, but the wafer-thin bunk mattress remains.
Minor tweaks
Apart from the new V8 engine, the powertrain and electrical system are carried over from the current TGA range and the other changes tend to be minor tweaks which, nevertheless, add up to a number of operational improvements. For example, the rear axle benefits from a revision to the air suspension resulting in a 20kg saving, there is a new 80A alternator, which promises better performance, and the electrical connectors have been redesigned to improve reliability.