Arocs claims Actros pedigree but with offroad capability for construction and delivery
Building on the history of the extremely reliable Actros range of truck tractors for articulated transport vehicles, Mercedes Benz has just announced that it will launch shortly a range of rigid trucks for the construction industry and for short and medium haul delivery, under the name Arocs.
Arocs for Construction
The Arocs for construction comprises two basic designs, one on an 8×4 chassis for a 35-ton gross weight concrete mixer and the other on a 6×4 chassis for a tipper.
The Arocs 3236B/51 concrete mixer features a weight optimised hypoid rear axle, light-weight aluminium fuel tank, disc brakes and aluminium rims to reduce kerb weight and increase payload. This enables the 8×4 mixer chassis to supply 8 cubic metres of ready-mixed concrete on every trip.
The Arocs 3336K/36 tipper has a short rear overhang, robust planetary axles, a double disc clutch, robust drum brakes, optimised for off-road use and a 16-speed Powershift 3 automated transmission with the “Off-Road Drive” programme as standard.
The platform mounting brackets for all mixer chassis are standard, as are the brackets for the tipper chassis, complete with modular bolted frame and the 50mm chassis hole pattern. This significantly reduces fitment time when either the mixer of the loadbox is installed.
The Arocs for Construction comes standard with a 1-year/unlimited kilometre complete vehicle warranty and a 3-year/250,000km/5000 hours standard warranty on the drive train.
Arocs for Distribution
The Arocs for Distribution will be launched as the Arocs 2636L/57 6×2 and the Arocs 3345/48.
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 aerodynamic efficiency 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 Arocs for Distribution comes standard with a 1 year/unlimited kilometre complete vehicle warranty and a 5 year/650,000km standard warranty on the drive train.
Powerful engines for any terrain
All Arocs derivatives are driven by the powerful, yet efficient 12.8 litre OM460 Euro III engine, initially available in two engine outputs of 265kW (360hp) & 330kW (450hp) respectively. The OM460 engine is based on tried and tested technology and robust components.
The new inline 6-cylinder engine configuration with exhaust turbocharger and unit pump line injectors obtains high torque at low engine speeds and across a wider engine speed range contributing to much improved driving characteristics and a significant increase in fuel efficiency.
“This product strategy allows Mercedes-Benz Trucks to precisely match the interests of today’s customers. 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,” Mercedes Benz South Africa stated.
