Mercedes-Benz Atego named International Truck of the Year
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christopher.waltonfarbi.co.uk MERCEDES-BENZ'S new Atego has won International Truck of the Year 2011, triumphing over Volvo's FM/FMX Series and Scania's longhaul VS.
Unveiling the winner at the 63rd IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover this week, the jury singled out the medium-duty Atego for blending together a "welltuned, conventionally powered" truck range — incorporating many of the features found in the larger Axor and Actros models — with a hybrid alternative driveline.
The award is presented every year to a truck launched in the previous 12 months that, in the jury's opinion, has made the greatest contribution to road efficiency in terms of innovation, comfort, safety, clriveability, fuel consumption and emission reductions.
International Truck of the Year jury chairman Gianenrico Griffini says: "Mercedes-Benz has delivered a new, multi-faceted, medium-duty truck.
"Not only does the latest Atego now offer distribution truck drivers many of the features previously found in heavier 'premium' longhaulage trucks, but its advanced parallel hybrid model also addresses the problem of reducing the CO2 footprint from CVs throughout the EU," he adds.
The 12-tonne 1222 Atego Hybrid has an optional stop-start system to prevent long idling, which cuts fuel consumption and emissions in stationary traffic.
The jury singled out the hybrid for its ability to reduce fuel consumption by 10% to 15%.
Finally, the jury praised the Atego and Mercedes-Benz's engineers for integrating the hybrid driveline into its conventional driveline, which it believed would translate into an "advanced, well-refined mediumduty truck that is easy to drive, but requires the minimum of training".
Last year's winner was the Scania R-Series.
• Votes were cast by CV journalists representing 23 European countries. The Atego received 127 votes, with the Volvo F111/FVFX series collecting 82 votes. Scania's V8 garnered 45 votes.