MBSA unveils game changer
New Mercedes-Benz powerful vehicle a boon for the agricultural sector
East London car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz South Africa has rolled out a new vehicle, a first for the South African market.
The Mercedes-Benz Unimog U529 is specially designed to cater for the thriving agricultural sector which boasts more than 300,000 registered commercial farmers.
Manufactured in Germany, the Mercedes-Benz trucks and buses division recently launched the Unimog in Winterton in KwaZulu-Natal where they exhibited the massive workhorse – an all-wheel drive allrounder, that promises to be a game changer for agriculture due to its swift efficiency, time saving mechanism and multifunctionality.
With only one unit in the country to exhibit, the German car manufacturer said with at least 200 units purchased annually in South Africa, they would be forced to consider manufacturing the tractor, looking to use their East London manufacturing plant.
It is where they are currently manufacturing two derivatives in their trucking segment, the Actros and Fuso, while the East London plant is also known to be the home of their passenger car, the C-Class.
While it has been more than a decade since the launch of the Unimog, which previously was designed for construction and the military, a delegation of engineers said after two years of engaging with South African farmers, assessing their needs – they developed a workhorse that could deliver according to their specifications.
MBSA manager for specialised heavy duty trucks Duncan Prince said the new truck set the standard as a robust and versatile specialised truck.
“The Unimog U529 is a new concept in the South African agricultural industry offering significant farming versatility with haul speeds of up to 80km/h. The multifunctional workhorse employs a six-cylinder 7.7-litre Mercedes-Benz OM 936 Euro 5 engine, that is equipped with an engine compression brake and offers maximum torque output from as low as 1,150rpm making this an exceptionally flexible engine.
“The U529 is fuel efficient when compared to a conventional agricultural tractor when employed in applications requiring high speed or high power to weight ratio. The central tyre inflation system (CTIS) allows inflation and deflation of the tyres while the vehicle is in motion, offering excellent traction, protecting the soil, preventing compaction and avoiding wheels-spinning which could lead to excessive tyre wear when operating in the field,” he said.
Prince said the key concept behind the Unimog is its durability and versatility as it can be used across all seasons, fulfilling all the duties of a farmer.
“The multifunction Unimog can fulfil various roles you’d expect a farmer to do, including manure spreading, high speed haulage, crop spraying, fertiliser spreading, mowing, raking, baling, fire-fighting and combine harvester chasing with the use of the various applications and over 10 easy to fit implement connections,” he said.
In a demonstration on a wheat farm in Winterton, the Unimog could be seen fulfilling all the duties with ease in the scorching heat of about 40°C, which did not hinder the driver due to air-conditioning.
Mercedes-Benz trucks, vans and buses media specialist Thamie Mthembu said while the truck was priced from over R4m, depending on the desired specifications, the truck comes standard with a 4-year/or 5,000hour warranty.
“Sales and after-sales support for the Unimog UGE product is available from selected Mercedes-Benz truck outlets in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Free State, Western and Eastern Cape.
“The Unimog is designed to save money, labour and time, while working faster and fasttracking production to help the farmer,” he said.
The Unimog can fulfil the various roles you’d expect a farmer to do