Atego gives a wider choice
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by Charles Young MERCEDES-BENZ'S new Atego range of trucks will arrive in the UK in June, with 10 basic models spanning the 7.5-15-tonne weight range. There are four new cabs, a new chassis and new disc brakes—all for a price premium of 2-3%. The most important model will be the 7.5-tonne Atego 815 which will replace the 814 chassis-cab and is expected to account for some 90% of UK Atego sales.
The UK will also get a more powerful 7.5tonner and eight other chassis-cabs, ranging from 9-15 tonnes GVW. A heavier range of Ategos up to 26 tonnes GVW will be launched at the Hanover show; the UK will definitely be receiving an urban artic.
The LK took 27% of the 6-16-tonne European market; Mercedes hopes the Atego will increase this share to 33%.
Brakes
• Mercedes-Benz says it is determined to improve the active safety of trucks so it is fitting disc brakes all round in conjunction with ABS. The only exception is on all-wheel-drive vehicles and tippers with a GVW over 12 tonnes where stones from the loadbed or the road might damage the discs.
Horst Zimmer, executive vicepresident of Daimler-Benz, says: "The customers ask if we can get rid of ABS to reduce the cost, but we always say no. We want to make a contribution to active safety."
Whether this will be the case in the UK remains to be seen. 0 although ABS will be offered as standard.
A constant-throttle valve exhaust brake operated by a stalk on the side of the steering wheel will be available as a g
£600 (or thereabouts) option on EL-the 7.5-tormer, but the Actros
electronic braking system will not be available in the Atego.
Chassis
• The Atego's low-slung cab and single-step access have been achieved by using a two-part chassis with a low front section. The cab is mounted on two Zsection side-members which are slanted downwards to the front and outwards. This makes the cab 102mm lower than the LK. The Z-section also allows the four-pot engine to sit lower so the cabs have an almost flat floor. The length of the front section is 2,645mm.
The rear portion of the chassis is a conventional U-section bolted to the Z-frame and can give wheelhases from 3,020min to 6,960mm. The rear section also has two heights and five material strengths for various models, It is the same width as the previous chassis so old bodies can be used.
Steel-sprung Ategos have parabolic springs on all axles: 7.5tonners have single leaves on the front axle. All other models have two-leaf parabolic springs, apart from tractive units which have three. Rear axles have multi-leaf parabolic springs with
a supporting leaf spring—air suspension could be an option.
Driveline
• The Atego is powered by a four or six-cylinder version of the 900-Series Mercedes engine. The four-pot is the same as the
engine which drives the current 814, hut develops more power. The 6.4-litre six-cylinder unit is available with power ratings of 228hp (170kW) and 275hp (205kW). A higher-rated sixcylinder model will also he available for Atego fire engines.
The 7.5-tormer will arrive in the UK with a 150hp (112kW) or 168hp (125kW) variant of the four-cylinder engine.
Each cylinder has an individual unit pump to inject the fuel: they're controlled by Telligent engine electronics from the Actros. Mercedes claims that with multi-valve technology, unit-pump injection, the Telligent engine management system and charge-cooling, the engines are poised to meet the Euro-3 emissions regulations. They are also capable of running on gas.
Four manual ge.arboxe.s are on offer: a five-speed ZF,
Mercedes own six-speed (a .C600 option at 7.5 tonnes), a iF nine-speed range-change, and Mercedes' 12-speed electro-rmeumatic splitter box. An Allison automatic box will be offered in conjunction with a highpowered six-cylinder engine for fire engines.
The driveline is completed by a range of 15 final-drive ratios; the 815 will come as standard with a 3.9:1 ratio.
Maintenance
• One of the main features of the Atego is increased productivity due to extended service intervals and lower maintenance costs. Distribution trucks have service intervals of 60,000km (40,000 miles) with a planned service life of 600,000km (400,000 miles) for all major assemblies.
The work required for servicing has also been reduced: Mercedes claims maintenance costs have been cut by 30%.
In addition to this the Atego has been designed with easy repairs in mind—repair costs are said to be down by 15%.
Driving impressions
• CM drove a laden example of the Clcs bread-and-butter model, the 815, fitted with a fridge body.
First impressions are as Mercedes would hope: a very low entry height and a real impression of roominess, even though every available space has been given over to some sort of storage bin. In terms of stowage the Atego certainly sets a new standard.
The whole appearance of the cab is modern and, with its sloping dash, vaguely reminiscent of the Vito. If the cab's not exactly car-like, it's certainly van-like.
The cab is very well insulated: the only noises that come through are a hit of diesel clatter and the occasional turbo whistle. The engine is flexible and works well in this installation— particularly in conjunction with the exhaust brake. This not only held the vehicle back on a downslope; it actually managed to slow it down. The ride is excellent, especially with the driver's air seat, and this contributes strongly to the overall impression of smooth refinement. The light steering adds to good handling too.
The only criticism we found during our brief drive was with the brakes, which seemed less powerful than we expected from an all-disc setup.
Travel also seemed a bit on the long side. However, Mercedes showed us a video in which the 815 easily outbraked the previous 814 so it might just be a case of getting used to them, CAS■113 4, The new cabs have 25% more volume and 50% more storage capacity than the LK but they do contribute to an extra 150kg kerbweight at 7.5 tonnes. All models are 2,300mm wide with an interior width of 2,010mm; headroom ranges from 1,516mm in the 5-cab to 1,920mm in the high-top L-cab. Ategos up to 10.5 tonnes have single-step access to the cab and a floor height of 818mm. Models above 10.5 tonnes have two steps with a maximum floor height of around a metre. Unusually for this class the Atego includes a sleeper cab with two bunks. The seats have the same range of adjustment as those in the Actros. A driver's air seat is an option; the steering wheel can be adjusted for rake and reach. The windscreen is slightly raked and, with the low side windows, gives 283° of vision,
The Atego's locking system runs from conventional to remote central locking with an alarm system—on engine immobiliser is fitted as standard.