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If Truck of the Year was decided on potential sales
Page 153
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volumes, then the Atego's odds would be considerably shortened but it isn't. Yet the latest Euro-5 versions of Merc's six-to-16-tonne middleweight should still interest the judges. On the outside, its front-end has gained the same 'family-look' as the Axor and Actros. Inside, trim options and fittings have been tweaked with improved ail-round storage too. The Atego's steering wheel nas also gained control buttons as standard, so you interrogate the on-board computer or adjust the radio without taking your eyes off the road. The Atego can be specced with Merc's engine stop/start system to save fuel in urban distribution applications by up to 2.8%, which should appeal to any operator looking to hold their fuel-bill in check. Moreover, when it's running as a drawbar, the latest Atego can be fitted with Merc's newly developed permanent integral magnet retarder, which can reduce a driver's reliance on his service brakes by up to 60%. The pneumatically activated unit weighs just 39kg, but provides a maximum braking power of up to 180kW, Throw in new support packages for repair and breakdown services, recovery and accident assistance, right through to driver services, legal assistance and logistics services and an additional chassis guarantee, valid throughout Europe for three years/one-million km, and the Atego's overall attractions shine through.
The Mercedes-Benz Atego is the dark horse for IToY 2011. It's not as glamorous as the Scania, or as rugged as the Volvo, but for sheer fleet-friendliness, it has a lot going for it. The last middleweight rigid to win IToY was in 2006 when the award went to the MAN TGL. So could the timing be right for the Mercedes Atego? Definitely worth a long-odds punt.
CM'S TIP