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Municipal appeal from lining
Page 124
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by Dan Gilkes • Mercedes-Benz looks set to take the municipal vehicle market by storm with its novel Unimog UX100 (CM 13-19 June). Unlike larger Unimogs the UX100 is not a go-anywhere off-roader, though it does have a four-wheel-drive capability.
At just 3.8m long and 1.6m wide it is well suited to a congested urban environment where it can be equipped with sweeper brushes, snow ploughs and gritter bodies as well as conventional tipper bodies and a variety of other attachments.
There are two models, both fitted with diesel engines from the Sprinter van range. First to arrive in the UK is the higherspecification variant which uses a 122hp five-cylinder turbodiesel. This will be followed by a naturally aspirated 73hp fourPot
The drive is through an hydrostatic transmission offering a travelling speed of 0-65 km/h with working ranges of 015 and 0-30km/h. Power is transmitted through the rear axle in normal use but fourwheel drive can be engaged at the flick of a switch. The rear axle also incorporates a difflock.
The most unusual feature of the UX100 is up in the cab. The steering wheel is on the right hand side which is fine for driving to the work site, but then you need to see the left-hand kerb to work the attachments. No problem. Release the central dash trim, pull a button on the steering column and turn the steering wheel to the left. The whole steering column, with the throttle and brake pedals hanging from it, moves across the dash to the left of the vehicle. Replace the trim, change seats and you have a left-hooker for close-to-kerb work.
On the road the UX100 is comfortable and relatively rapid. It accelerates briskly and is stable through the corners. When travelling at speed the hydrostatic transmission is set and the speed is regulated by the throttle and brake pedals. But when the machine is working in the attachment modes it is possible to set the revs on a hand throttle and use the hydrostatic control to inch the machine forward.
The UX100 has hydraulic outlets mounted on the front and rear and can run centrally mounted attachments as well. The system supplies 20901it/min at a pressure of 200280 bar. The lower-powered basic model has a payload of 1,300kg with a gross weight of 3.5 tonnes; the more powerful version can handle a 2.1-tonne payload within a GVW of 4,300kg. Mercedes has also made some changes higher up the Unimog range, with Euro-2 engines now available in all models. However, in the smallest traditional Unimog—the 5.5-tonne U1001,---Mercedes has also increased the power. Out goes the old TI -based98hp lump, to be replaced by the Sprinter's 122hp engine and gearbox. This drives through a two-speed transfer box offering 10 forward and two reverse ratios.
Top speed is unchanged, but the chance of actually reaching that speed is much more realis
tic than in the original UlOOL.
This is perhaps the most simple Unimog to drive, being just like a tall van, but it sacrifices none of the marque's off-road abilities. It comes with a twoperson cab as standard. A double passenger seat is available but as yet there is no factorybuild crew-cab for the UlOOL.
For those looking for a bit more payload the slightly bigger U140L has gross weights of 7.5 and 8.5 tonnes. The two-axle Unimog range goes up to 14 tonnes gross on the recently revised 2150L38. If you want more than that there is also a primarily military 6x6 model.
The Unimog has always been much more than a simple load carrier, and the utilities, particularly the electricity companies, have been placing orders in growing numbers.
Sales manager Derck Owen believes the Unimog's appeal is still improving. Traditionally, Mercedes has sold around 40-50 Unimogs in the UK a year. That rose to 70 last year and Owen is hoping to end 1996 with more than 100 sales. He is confident that will rise again to nearer 120 next year.