Last year, Weststar unveiled two new powerhouses in the commercial vehicle segment; the all new Actros and Arocs. The latter has since been touted as the new force in construction, one that promises to take on every challenge in the construction business with tailor-made solutions for every vehicle body. We will be looking at hard facts to determine just how powerful the all new Arocs really is.
[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ombining power, robustness and efficiency in a unique way, the Arocs continues the 120-year old tradition of Mercedes-Benz Trucks in the construction industry while bringing them into the future with innovative technology. Designed to provide a reliable, high-torque drive configuration to suit the construction industry down to the ground, the Arocs offers a number of frame and suspension configurations developed to excel both on and off-road.
The new Arocs powerfully masters every driving situation, equipped with a robust and high-torque engine, Mercedes PowerShift 3 and a new unique suspension and frame design, all as standard. It comes with a durable powertrain that delivers precisely the power you need in off-road transportation, construction sites or extreme terrain. The new Arocs also comes with increased ground clearance with high angles of approach to ensure optimized agility even in challenging road conditions. From platform vehicles and concrete mixers to heavy-duty tippers, the new Arocs is a particularly tough and robust vehicle that will meet any challenge in construction and off-road transportation.
The new in-line 6-cylinder engines have higher engine efficiency through the wastegate turbocharger, the optimized viscous fan clutch and the intelligent auxiliary consumers. The OM473 (Euro III), a state of the art 6-cylinder in-line 15.6 liter engine opens a new dimension in high performance engines.
The turbo compound unit transforms thermal energy into mechanical energy and thus increases the operating efficiency of the engine: the engine has additional power but lower fuel consumption by using the X-Pulse fuel-injection system which reduces the fuel quantity utilized in the engine.
The new Arocs comes with Mercedes PowerShift 3 as standard and manual gearshift as an option. The gearbox is 100 percent made by Mercedes-Benz ensuring the best integration with engine and axles, providing a wider range of gears for operation in optimal torque ranges and optimized start-off capabilities.
With Mercedes PowerShift 3 you get the best shifting strategy at any time (30-50 percent faster gear changes than manual) with friction reduction for minimized wear and tear of the driveline. Providing a wider range of gears for operation in optimal torque ranges and various driving modes for different road situations, such as Power Mode, Crawl function and Rapid Reverse.
The narrow frame in the new Arocs comes with a width of 744 mm and a longitudinal member thickness of 8 or 9 mm, which is made of cold formed, high-strength fine-grained steel, is used in vehicles intended for deployment mainly on construction sites and for off-road driving. This ensures highest reliability and torsional flexibility even in difficult conditions.
The new Arocs is also equipped with a durable steel suspension. For use in heavy-duty construction site operations, the steel suspension impresses with its robust, solid construction, high performance and loadability. With the weight-optimized parabolic springs and precisely matched shock absorbers and stabilizers you are optimally prepared even in difficult conditions.
The range of different front and rear axles, which are available in job-specific variants are a further key contributory factor to the large ground clearance in the new Arocs. Depending on the type of application and chassis, front axles with varying offsets and with a permissible front axle load of up to 9 tonnes are available. The particularly robust planetary axles with a load capacity of up to 16 tonnes also offer high ground clearance.
Never compromising on safety, Mercedes-Benz offers many safety and assistance systems to reduce risks and increase comfort for the driver. More safety is provided due to more than 400 sensors which are fitted on the truck to ensure safe and efficient driving. These safety systems include the Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Acceleration Slip Regulation (ASR), Hazard warning lights flashing in case of emergency braking, Active Brake Assist 4 and Attention Assist as some of the highlight features.
The all new Arocs is available for immediate order in Nigeria from Weststar Associates Limited with the best Aftersales service and support. Customers who acquire the new Arocs can rest assured of absolute reliability, efficiency and total cost of ownership in a whole new dimension.
