Mercedes-Benz is to launch its new Atego light- and
medium-duty truck series at the IFAT 2014 exhibition in Munich, Germany this
month.
For the first time, the
company will introduce an automated mechanical transmission (AMT) in
lightweight trucks.
These
will be teamed with BlueEfficiency in-line Euro V1 diesel engines covering an
output range from 115 kW (156 bhp) to 220 kW (299 bhp) in
either the six- or eight-speed in-house PowerShift 3 AMTs, with the six-speeder
being newly developed by Mercedes-Benz.
The
company sees the Atego, now a fully revamped and optimised vehicle concept, the
benchmark in public-service operations as well as for multi-drop vehicles in congested
urban areas.
The
company claims a five per cent reduction in fuel consumption which, in
comparison to its predecessor represents a “substantial advantage” for the user,
according to the German truck maker.
Mercedes-Benz claims that “extensive development work on the chassis, steering and suspension
has realised the ambitious aim of leading the light-duty truck category” in
terms of handling characteristics, too.
In
its unladen state or at the maximum permissible gross vehicle weight, the
suspension offers the ultimate in driving dynamics, safety and comfort. The
Atego's “compact dimensions and high agility mean that it is able to negotiate
narrow alleys and backyards without any problem”, according to the company.
All
told, 42 different model variants are available, covering a broad range of
wheelbases, three cab lengths and all-wheel-drive versions.
Developed
specifically to meet the requirements of light-duty distribution operations,
the new cab bears up to comparison with cabs for heavy-duty Mercedes-Benz
trucks in terms of design, quality, equipment and appointments.
In
addition, the Euro VI Atego models with permanent or manually selectable
all-wheel drive are “ideal for operations requiring high levels of traction” in
public service and off-road scenarios.
But
it is the arrival of AMTs in these light-to-medium range trucks which mark
Mercedes-Benz apart from its competitors. Rivals such as DAF, MAN, Renault and Volvo light-to-medium chassis, as
well as the Euro VI-compliant EuroCargo trucks from Iveco, all use ZF’s
AS-tronic lite AMT transmission. But in the EuroCargo it is standard equipment
with a manual-shift nine-speed option available on some models.
According to transmission
specialist ZF, light and medium-duty delivery traffic can benefit
from the advantages of automatic transmissions. Intelligent electronics select
the ideal gear depending upon the driving situation and the route. The
electronic protection against incorrect gear changes, engine over-revving, and
torque peaks preserves the entire driveline. Compared to manual transmissions,
fuel consumption is reduced and the service life of the clutch is extended many
times over.
In the AS Tronic
family, high-performance gears with helical teeth minimize noise emissions and
as a result, predestine the transmissions for use in the city. The reduced CO2
and brake dust emissions also contribute to this.
If AMTs are so
good, why have they not been used before for stop-start urban delivery
vehicles?
As with many technical
developments, progress has been slow and their introduction came at the lower-volume,
high-price end of the range where the cost of developing the technology could
be ‘absorbed’.
And so AMTs arrived
first in long-haul road haulage applications, principally encompassing
motorway, autobahn or autoroute duties. Ironically, such applications also
coincided with infrequent use of the gearbox.
However, such low-volume
applications allowed truck-maker Mercedes-Benz (which developed its own Elecronic
Power Shift or EPS (a basic form of AMT) when it revamped its heavy truck range
nearly 30 years ago and introduced it as standard equipment), to gain steady experience
with the technology. One noticeable difference was the adoption of no
fully-manual option.
Even so AMTs had
arrived and wider use by long-distance truck drivers added to the growing momentum
of wider acceptance. But it has taken a relatively long time for AMTs to be introduced
lower down the weight range. In the passenger car world they are already firmly
established.
With
its huge financial muscle, Mercedes-Benz was able to absorb, the additional
costs of EPS and ‘hide’ them in the price of the vehicle, thus reducing any deterrence
that truck buyers might face.
On
the plus side too, Mercedes-Benz could gradually ramp up production, not only
gaining valuable experience on the way but longer term reducing unit costs as
EPS production volumes steadily mounted.
Developments
along these lines increased pressure on Mercedes-Benz’s competition to step up
their own AMT programmes as well as through specialist vendors such as ZF which,
among others, supplies Scania and Volvo.
It
remains to be seen if wider adoption of AMTs becomes the norm, following in the
wake of Iveco and Mercedes-Benz. Observers will
be watching to see how widely the Atego range is accepted and to what extent
additional sales are the direct result of AMT introduction. ∎
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