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| | Posted on Friday, May 27, 2005 - 10:11 am: |       |
New Axor is a Mid-Class Specialist
DaimlerChrysler’s ongoing renewal of its entire truck range has progressed further, with the Australian launch of the new Axor model series.
The Axor has been specifically designed for medium-distance haulage and heavy-duty, short-radius distribution work with trucks from 18 to 26 tonnes GVM.
“The new Axor fits neatly between the heavy-duty Actros and the lighter Atego, and has been created to provide excellent solutions for this demanding sector of the market; in particular lower operating costs,” said Ken Matthews, Managing Director, DaimlerChrysler Commercial Vehicles.
“The Axor is the final part in our equation. It allows us to offer our customers a broader range of product for more applications. Add to that the Sterling and Freightliner ranges, and DaimlerChrysler truck dealers now have products to suit all customers’ needs.”
The Axor will be available in four models in Australia:
1833 L – 18 tonne GVM @ 330hp, air-suspended, long-wheelbase rigid, with air suspension as an option for the steer
1833 A – a 4x4 version with steel suspension
1833LS – 18 tonne GVM @ 330hp, air-suspended prime mover
2633 - 26 tonne GVM @ 330hp, 6x4 rigid with six-rod steel suspension.
All models feature the 7.2 litre OM 926 LA engine delivering 326 hp and 1300 Nm of torque. The OM 926 LA has been developed on the basis of the familiar OM 906 LA turbo diesel. Increasing the cylinder bore from 102 to 106 mm and fitting a new crankshaft with a stroke of 136 instead of 130 mm produces a swept volume of 7.2 litres. The new power plant attains its rated output at 2200 rpm and maintains its maximum torque right across the range from 1200 to 1600 rpm.
The standard transmission on the Axor is a nine-speed synchromesh design, and is also available with the driver-friendly, 16-speed semi-automatic Telligent® shift system, familiar to drivers of the Actros.
Mercedes-Benz Axor vehicles with air suspension are equipped as standard with Telligent Level Control which allows the frame to be raised and lowered. In the case of air-suspended rigid chassis, the frame can be raised by 200 mm and lowered by 90 mm. This makes it easy to fit demountable bodies, allows the vehicle to adapt to different loading dock heights without any difficulty, accelerates loading and unloading of platform trucks and makes the job of the crew much easier.
With the Axor, fixed maintenance intervals are now a thing of the past. The Telligent maintenance system – standard equipment with the OM 906 LA - continuously monitors all the key operating parameters and automatically calculates maintenance intervals based on the vehicle’s work profile.
Safety and manoeuvrability have been enhanced with the two main mirrors and two spotter mirrors positioned further out from the vehicle to improve rear visibility significantly.
Drivers will find the new Axor range offers cabin interiors which lift their working environment far ahead of the competition. Everything is new, from the instrument panel and instrument cluster to the switches, buttons, trim elements and materials. Even the bunks in the long-distance cab offer a truly outstanding degree of comfort.
“You can tell the new Axor is closely related to the new version of the Actros which was launched two years ago, but the new Axor has been specifically designed for those operators who don’t need a true heavy-duty truck but still require plenty of power and capacity with low operating costs,” Mr Matthews said.
The new Axor range will be on display for the first time in Australia at the Brisbane Truck Show before going on sale nationally throughout the DaimlerChrysler dealer network. |
