MAN 19.322
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MAN's 19.322 will probably be of greatest interest to UK readers of our Euroduel contestants. This tractor, to be badged 17.322 when it arrives here this spring, is the most significant of the recently reengined F90 line-up (CM 7-13 June 1990).
It uses an uprated version of the charge-cooled five-cylinder 10-litre diesel familiar from the earlier .262 models. The new .322 tractive units are aimed at the heart of the fleet market, and effectively take over from the previous .292 and .332 tractors which used the larger 12-litre six.
With the lighter five-pot engine, the new model is also closer to the competition in terms of kerb weight, and the continental specification 19.322 tested compares favourably with its rivals at about 6.7 tonnes. Teaming up with the revised power unit is the latest 16-speed 16S150 Ecosplit gearbox from ZF, with a MAN single reduction axle completing the driveline. The 19.322 also has four-bag air suspension on its rear axle.
Though a test under UK conditions might prove otherwise, MAN'S engineers certainly seem to have got their sums right with the 19.322, for the German tractor convincingly obtained the best performance/economy combination in our test, returning 35.131it/100km (8.04inpg) at 67.7kmili (42.1mph).
The 19.322 might have had to play second fiddle to the Daf 95.330 in terms of fuel consumption, but when it came to speed it answered to no-one, getting round the route at a pace which only the Renault came close to matching: the Oaf, for example, was more than 5kinili slower. On paper, the MAN is slightly down on power compared to most of its rivals, so its speed across the ground may 'appear surprising when you consider its swift hill climbs and its need for the fewest gearchanges. However, it is clear that the 19.322 has a torque spread which is more than a match for the competition.
The driver's contribution cannot be ignored and MAN's man stuck very closely to 80km/h on the autoroute. and maintained the pace over the undulating Aroads (occasionally going a bit too fast). Whatever the conditions, however, the rev profile shows that the engine did the vast majority of its work in the L.1001,600rpm band where it is most efficient.