Mercedes-Benz has presented the new ProCabin Actros at the Brisbane Truck Show.
On sale later in Australia and New Zealand this year, the new Actros model features a futuristic design that has delivered a 3 per cent fuel efficiency improvement over the truck it replaces in Europe.
Daimler Truck Australia Pacific President and CEO, Daniel Whitehead, says the new Mercedes-Benz ProCabin is a great example of the research and development Daimler Truck invests is.
“The ProCabin is the embodiment of trucking innovation in 2025,” he says.
“It shows that even after a series of upgrades that consistently driven down fuel consumption, the Mercedes-Benz Trucks team can still innovate and cut fuel use by another 3 per cent,” he says.
Daimler Truck Australia Pacific Vice President Sales, Marketing and Operations, Andrew Assimo says the ProCabin will deliver real world savings to Actros customers.
“We are excited that we will soon be able to deliver this incredible truck to our Australian and New Zealand customers and help them to realise the benefits it is already delivering in Europe,” he says.
“Driving down running costs has always been a core focus of the Actros and this iteration proves considerable fuel efficiency gains can be realised with innovative design,” Mr Assimo concludes.
The 2663 ProCabin on the stand is one of several validation units and will soon join Australian fleets before the new truck is officially on sale.
The ProCabin truck will replace existing the larger cab Actros models in the range, including the 2.5 StreamSpace and GigaSpace models.
The new cab was designed from the ground-up with aerodynamic efficiency in mind. Designers introduced a rounded-off shape in order guide the air around the vehicle with as little drag possible.
There are virtually no gaps or spaces left in order to optimise airflow, while maintaining cooling effectiveness by concentrating the airflow.
Designers also added extended cab deflectors to better help push the wind around the truck.
Mercedes-Benz will continue producing the existing 2.3 ClassicSpace and StreamSpace models. This retains its current design but with minor safety upgrades.
All new Actros models are gaining a significant active safety technology upgrade that exceeds the new European General Safety Regulation standard. Daimler Truck has introduced a new electronics platform that can process data 20 times faster so the truck’s safety systems can react faster.
The Actros has four new radars, in addition to the existing centrally mounted front radar and windscreen-mounted camera. This enables a 270-degree view around the vehicle and means engineers could further improve the clever Active Sideguard Assist system. It now monitors both sides of the vehicle and covers an even greater area than before. It can even stop the truck when it is turning (up to 20km/h) if it detects a hazard.
Daimler Truck continues to develop its diesel offerings, recently upgrading the 13-litre OM471 engine with a raft of design changes that boost reliability and drive down fuel consumption.
Mercedes-Benz also brought the iconic Unimog 5023 to Brisbane. With unmatched off-road capability, the Unimog is loved by emergency responder teams and adventurers across Australia.
Mercedes-Benz is also showing its fully-electric eActros and eEconic range. The eActros is already hard at work in Australia, with 20 units working with Perth’s Centurion fleet and another 10 to be delivered soon.