The TG3 range is the latest product line-up for MAN Trucks and it has been announced as one of the four contenders for the Truck of the Year Australasia 2023 award, which will be presented at the Brisbane Truck Show on May 18.
The criteria for being a contender is that this model has made a contribution, to the standards of safety and efficiency of transport of goods by road, taking into account the particular characteristics of the Australasian truck market.
A new model and a new engine is always an exciting period for a truck brand. The arrival late last year of the TG3 for MAN was a big event, the range had been voted as the International Truck of the Year for 2021 after its launch at the start of the Covid pandemic in Bilbao, Spain, and was well received in the European truck market.
The time lag between that original launch in Europe, in 2020, until its arrival here does not help, and this has been the case for the brand over the years. In the past, MAN have seen high selling models on the European market arrive here a couple of years later and fail to engender a lot of excitement among Australian truck buyers.
The range includes the TGX which is available in 6×4 with a 540hp 12.4 litre engine option or the 580 and 640 horsepower settings of the 15.1 litre. There’s a choice of three cab options, the GX, which is the biggest one that’s a full height, full width cabin. Then there’s the GM which is the medium height still also full width, and the GN, which is standard height.
Going down the range, we get to the TGS which is available as a 4×2 and a 6×4 There’s more engine options with all of the 12.4 litre D26 engines plus one of the 10 litre D20 engines.There’s a choice of 360, 400, 440, 480 and 540 horsepower available.
The TGS only comes with a standard cab height with a sleeper or day cab option both narrower than the TGX, at 2.44m. These cabins sit lower, with a smaller front grille, as they only have to accomodate the smaller engines.
An inside tour
This model is fitted with an all-new cabin interior and although it has a familiar geography, it has been upgraded for the TG3. It uses full digital screens, both in the cockpit display, as well as to the left-hand side of the driver. The main 12.3-inch digital display, is one display, but it can be sectioned off into two separate screens.
Using the SmartSelect control the driver can go through the categories then hit the button at the top to select down to a sub-menu where the driver can find the item they want. This control proves to be easy to use even on some of the rougher roads because of the smart design of the handrest – something which probably originated in the luxury car side of the Volkswagen empire.
The control also features a break away hinge on the fold-out handrest, so that if a driver knocks it when it is folded out, it simply drops away undamaged. It’s designed well both for longevity and ease of use.
It also proves to be very easy to navigate around the sections and options. The driver can flick from navigation to the entertainment options or go to a split screen with a map on one side and a list of music tracks on the other. The driver can control their phone through either the entertainment screen or the steering wheel controls.
The steering system is augmented with an electric input which gives the driver a slightly stiffer steering feel when driving down the highway. However, at slower speeds and when manoeuvring, the electric input makes steering easier and more precise. A system using this electric control to kick the truck back into the lane will be an option into the future.
The upcoming legislative requirements to include autonomous emergency braking in new trucks sees MAN include a full package of the latest safety systems in the new TG3 models. These include the Electronic Stability Program (ESP), which has been with us for some time, but has been augmented with a long list of other system, most of which have abbreviations.
There’s the Brake Assistant that optimises braking pressure and gives 100 per cent braking when an emergency stop is activated. Then we have EBA, Emergency Brake Assist, which warns of collisions using radar and video and will activate retardation and emergency braking.
ACC is active cruise control, maintaining a set speed and then maintaining a safe distance to vehicles in front of the truck, also using the video and radar. LGS is the lane guard system which warns a driver drifting out of their lane.
These systems are becoming more and more familiar as they now appear in every brand of truck. They are also becoming easier to use as we are already into the second or third iteration of many of the modern electronic aids.
From the driver’s seat the way to monitor and control electronic equipment is made quite simple in this well-designed cabin interior. It is clear to see, from both the driveline performance and the design smarts inside the cabin, why this model has been popular in Europe. The conundrum is whether that acceptance will be replicated here in an Australia, where the MAN brand has struggled to make its mark.
The Truck of the Year Australasia 2023 award will be presented at the Brisbane Truck Show on May 18.
For more stories about ‘Truck of the Year Australasia‘ – click here or see below
Credit: Source link
