Next Week
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OUR ROAD TEST in next week's issue comes from the 16-ton market, traditionally dominated at home by British manufacturers. However, several imported models are building themselves healthy reputations, and Bryan Jarvis has tested one of these, the sleeper-cabbed Mercedes 1617 fitted with a 7.3m (24ft) flat body, around our Welsh test route. He found that it is a powerful performer.
The medium-vehicle issue would not be complete without our specification tables and next week we cover manufacturers offering models in the 7.5-16 ton sector. If you are thinking of buying a two-axle medium rigid, the spec tables will show who offers what and in detail.
• What do you think of Daf's after-sales support? Whether your answer is "good", "bad",'"indifferent" or "don't know" you can discover next week if three DAF operators, with fleets ranging in size from six to 500 vehicles, agree with you. Peter Cutmore, Daf GB's service director, had enough confidence in his company's back
up support-to volunteer to answer their criticisms. Tim Blakemore acted as chairman in the round table discussion and we recorded the proceedings.
• Last month's registration figures showed that Cummins engines were fitted to a record number of 29-tonne-plus UK tractive units (CM February 18). Nevertheless, it is clear that at present this engine manufacturer is relatively weak in the increasingly popular "just over 300hp" sector. Cummins has addressed that problem with the latest development of its ubiquitous 14-litre engine. In a CM colour feature, Tim Blakemore describes the Super E-Series models, and the chargecooled 10-litre engine which looks set to take over from the E290 as the first choice Cummins at 290hp for some manufacturers.
• Two monthly features to watch out for next week are Financial Market and Looking at Legislation — plus our light vehicle news section at the front of the book.