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New Actros has driver appeal
Page 16
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After one of the longest launches in trucking history, with the first picture appearing here last September, the second-generation Mercedes-Benz Actros has finally arrived in the UK. Colin Barnett and Emma Penny report.
• Driver appeal is the name of the game for Mercedes-Benz and its new Actros flagship. After selling a quarter of a million trucks since its 1996 introduction, Mercedes has now updated the Actros, with a much greater emphasis on driver comfort, The Germans have made a concerted effort to differentiate the premium Actros range from the fleet Axor.
That means drivers can look forward to a fully redesigned cab which, for the first time, includes a proper fully-sprung 710mm x 1,950mm mattress rather than the previous foam effort. In the Long Distance and Executive cab options, the upper bunk also benefits from an update, with a new 800mm x 2,020mm sleeping area with a 'contour-adaptive' base.
There are four basic cab designs. The S-type day cab is available in 'distribution' and 'construction' versions, as is the M-type extended (by 250mm) 'rest cab/short sleeper'. The [-type, or Long Distance, comes with a choice of three roof-heights: low, high or extra-low car transporter. Topping the range is the LH or MegaSpace, which boasts a high floor and high roof Both driver and passenger seats have also been updated, and have been approved by the German authority on spinal heath. The air-sprung suspension driver's seat has better cushioning, seatbelts and head restraints for improved comfort, while three seat options are available for co-drivers—a seat which will fold-up to give drivers more space, a reclining seat with wide seat cushion and backrest, or an air-sprung suspension seat similar to the driver's seat.
Mercedes-Benz says drivers will also benefit from fingertip controls on the steering wheel for the radio, telephone and driver information system—similar to the company's passenger cars.
Air conditioning and electric windows are standard on all Long Distance and Executive cabs, while for nights out, the company says it has moved the night heater to the chassis, avoiding the problem of being woken by the noise of the heater as it switches itself on.
Where a radio is fitted, this will include a CD player as standard, Mercedes-Benz being among the first to acknowledge the death of the cassette. And drivers who are out for nights on end will also like the fact that Mercedes' new 'integral rear chassis" design allows a recessed rear wall, giving 110mm more space at upper body height.
Under the bonnet, M-B's V6 engine has 440 and 460hp versions, all offering 10% more torque than current models, while 320, 360 and 410hp models are available for rigid Actros models. The VB develops 500, 540 and 580hp with 4% more torque.
The new chassis layout, which relocates air tanks and batteries to within the chassis behind the axle, offers much more space for fuel tanks and tipper wet gear, but more importantly provides room for the hardware needed for Euro4 and 5. During the launch, the company confirmed that its approach to the forthcoming emission levels will be driven down the SCR (selective catalytic reduction) route. The storage tanks needed for the urea-based fuel additive, Ad-Blue, can now be easily accommodated on the chassis.
Driveline configurations include both rigids and tractors in 4x2, 6x2 and 6x4 configurations, plus 6x4 and 8x4 rigids, Mercedes-Benz says there will no longer be any overlap in horsepower between the highest-powered Axor and the smallest Actros, save for existing Actros customers who will be able to specify a lower horsepower vehicle where required. So far, the manufacturer says it has taken orders for 400 Actros since its March debut at the CV Show, and will have a demonstration fleet on the road within a few weeks.