New toughie does duty on building sites
COMMERCIAL NEWS/ Mercedes launches its new heavy-duty Arocs trucks in SA, with four variants geared for construction and distribution
Mercedes-Benz Trucks has launched its new Arocs range of commercial vehicles in southern Africa. Following on the heels of the Actros truck tractors for long-distance transport, the new Arocs is aimed at distribution and construction transport.
This product strategy allows Mercedes-Benz Trucks to precisely match the interests of today’s customers, according to a Mercedes-Benz Trucks spokesperson.
“All-purpose vehicles are increasingly becoming a thing of the past that’s why the new range of Mercedes-Benz trucks uses a common platform to develop custom-tailored vehicle series for specific segments,” he says.
At the heart of the new Arocs is the new OM460 Euro III 12.8l inline six-cylinder turbodiesel engine, which already does duty in the new Actros.
Fleetboard Eco Support is standard on all new Arocs models, providing driver support by displaying tips on a consumption-reducing driving style in the instrument cluster during the journey.
AROCS FOR DISTRIBUTION
Two Arocs for distribution vehicles will be launched in the first phase: the Arocs 2636L/57 6x2 and the Arocs 3345/48, each available in two cab variants, the M-Cab and L-Cab ClassicSpace.
The roomy and comfortable ClassicSpace Cab, which includes seats with wider cushions, is designed for solo operation in distribution and national long-distance applications.
The OM460 Euro III engine is initially available in two outputs of 265kW and 330kW.
The engine is designed for high torque at low engine speeds and across a wider engine speed range, contributing to improved driving characteristics and a significant increase in fuel efficiency.
The Arocs 2636L/57 is a city and regional distribution vehicle that is optimised for efficiency, featuring a direct drive PowerShift 3 fully automated transmission and hypoid axles.
Side cab air deflectors ensure good aerodynamics by reducing wind turbulence between cab and body.
The Arocs 3345/48 is a versatile distribution vehicle with increased ground clearance, steel bumpers and swivel steps for on and off highway distribution applications.
The trucks’ total cost of ownership is optimised by longer maintenance intervals and long service lives for the engine, transmission and clutch.
SAFETY FEATURES
The Arocs for distribution range comes standard with comprehensive safety features including a driver airbag, ABS brakes, Lane Assist, and Attention Assist.
Attention Assist has the ability to increase driving safety and helps to avoid accidents by warning the driver if fatigue or lack of attention are detected.
It monitors the attention paid by the driver on the basis of various parameters. If the system detects the driver is getting tired, it warns him to take a break using visual and audible signals. After the first warning, Attention Assist activates the Lane Keeping Assist function.
The new Arocs for distribution comes standard with a oneyear/unlimited kilometre complete vehicle warranty and a five-year/650,000km warranty on the powertrain.
AROCS FOR CONSTRUCTION
Arocs for construction vehicles are designed to be particularly tough and robust to meet the challenges of construction transport, from robust steel suspension to planetary axles for off-road variants.
Two Arocs for construction vehicles will initially be launched: the Arocs 3336K/36 Tipper Chassis and the Arocs 3236B/51 8x4 Mixer Chassis. Initially one cab variant will be available: the roomy S-Cab ClassicSpace.
At launch, only the 265kW 12.8l OM460 Euro III engine will be initially available, with further engine outputs planned for later.
The engine output is transferred by an automated Mercedes PowerShift 3 transmission with different drive programmes for the vehicle’s varied range of applications. For construction vehicles, the “Off-Road Drive” programme is standard and offers the driving set-ups Standard, Economy, Off-road and Manual. It is optimised for the special requirements of construction site traffic and supports economic driving styles.
The Arocs 3236B/51 is an 8x4 concrete mixer with 35-ton gross vehicle weight that is able to supply 8m3 of ready-mixed concrete per trip.
VERSATILE
The Arocs 3336K/36 is a versatile tipper chassis with a short rear overhang featuring robust planetary axles, a double-disc clutch, robust drum brakes, and a 16-speed Powershift 3 automated transmission with the Off-Road drive programme as standard.
The trucks all come with application-specific mounting brackets as standard to significantly reduce the turnaround time at a bodybuilder.
The new Arocs for construction comes standard with a oneyear/unlimited kilometre warranty and a three-year/ 250,000km/5,000 hours warranty on the powertrain.
THE ENGINE IS DESIGNED FOR HIGH