NEW TRUCK FROM MAN IS A WINNER

Having spent a few hours behind the wheel of a new generation MAN TGX 26.640, Diesel’s European Correspondent, Will Shiers, reckons the new truck from MAN is a winner.

Kim Kardashian could have been doing naked star jumps in the truck park I pulled into, and nobody would have noticed or cared! That’s because all eyes were firmly on me, or rather the new MAN TGX 26.640 I was driving.

At the launch of the new truck in Bilbao, Spain, in February, some social media pundits were quick to criticise the new generation TGXs for not utilising a new cab. They reckoned a make-over wasn’t enough, and that the trucks didn’t look significantly different. Well, if the reaction I received while driving the first right-hand-drive example in the UK was anything to go by, they’re definitely wrong.

These days, everyone seems to be a truck designer, and thanks to the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, they have a platform for expressing their views. Hunt long and hard and you will of course find some positive comments relating to a new truck launch, but for some reason it’s those keyboard warriors with complaints that always seem to shout the loudest. Ahead of this first drive, I decided to look at some of the criticisms levied on the new generation TG range, just to see if any were justified. What else could they be wrong about?

THE EXTERIOR Yes, this is the same basic cab shell that first saw the light of day in 2000 (albeit re-engineered to meet the safety requirements of the directive UNECE R29.03), but it looks radically different. And besides, there’s nothing wrong with refreshing an existing cab. It certainly hasn’t done Paccar any harm anyway.

So, what has MAN done to it? Well for starters, the whole design has been sharpened up, with a lot more attention to air flow. There’s a new air dam at the bottom of the cab, redesigned air deflectors at the side, and a new air intake for cooling. It’s out with the old shiny grille, and in with a new matt version.

The headlights have been redesigned too, and in the case of my test vehicle (which had the optional ‘Light and Visibility Plus’ safety package), included all exterior lights in LED technology. The package also adds rain-sensitive windscreen wipers, automatic headlights, and Headlight Assist (which automatically dips when it detects oncoming vehicles). The front end is supposed to resemble a lion’s face – hence the golden launch colour.

There are changes to the side of the cab too, with revised door aerodynamics. This has been done to lower the air pressure, and direct dirt and grime below the windows and door handles. There are three instead of five aerodomes (MAN’s name for the horizontal styling moulds towards the rear of the cab), and in front of them is a fake black window.

The truck is slightly more slippery than before, and MAN claims an eight per cent enhancement in fuel economy over its predecessor. But, it’s important to stress that this isn’t a direct comparison, with the bulk of the improvement coming from an earlier move from Euro-6 step C to Euro6 step D engines.

Engine: D38 15.2-litre, 6-cylinder Euro-6d Power: 631hp at 1,800rpm Torque: 3,000Nm at 900rpm – 1,400rpm

The new TGX is a relaxing vehicle to drive, helped by a superb seating position, and in the case of this truck, a richly-equipped interior.

My test truck was the flagship 26.640, featuring the largest GX cab (or XXL in old money).

INSIDE STORY Access to the TGX has been improved, thanks to doors that now open to 90 degrees, and repositioned steps. The new EasyControl buttons, located inside the bottom of the driver’s door, are a neat feature. These are operated from outside the cab, and can be configured to suit each driver’s specific requirements.

The lion’s share of MAN’s investment has clearly gone on the interior. It’s quite simply unrecognisable from the truck it replaces.

For starters, the old mechanical handbrake, which used to be inexplicably located on the floor behind the driver’s left shoulder, has been replaced by a dashmounted electronic version. For me, this is a massive improvement.

Gone is the old XXL’s coach-like oversized windscreen. Although this was universally disliked, incredibly I read one comment from a driver saying he preferred it because of the improved visibility it offered. Well unless he’s freakishly tall, or sitting on the top bunk to drive, I struggle to see how this could possibly be an issue.

Likewise, there’s a handful of people complaining that the small side windows and the upper windows in the top of the biggest cab have been deleted, this despite the fact that drivers frequently tinted or filled them in. Even with considerably less glazing than before, the GX cab is still a light and airy environment.

“I bet it’s still got a bus steering wheel,” read one social media comment at the launch. Well yes, the larger wheel is still available, but my test truck had the new smaller one, which is part of the ComfortSteering option. It’s a fantastic feature, allowing effortless steering for low-speed manoeuvres, while firmingup at speed.

The dashboard is completely new, and now slopes downwards towards the windscreen. Needless to say, the haters will complain that their cigarette packets slide out of reach now, and ignore the fact that direct vision has been considerably improved as a result of the new profile. I suggest putting them elsewhere, there is, after all, 1,148 litres of storage space to choose from.

And on the subject of visibility, MAN has chosen to keep conventional mirrors, at least for the time being. But they’re slimmer now, and they’ve been moved rearwards, reducing the blindspot on the approach to junctions. There are plans to offer a camera and screen option in the future, which will no doubt ruffle a few feathers on social media.

ON THE ROAD On my three-hour drive, I was amazed by just how much attention the TGX attracted from other truck drivers. Heads turned, hands waved, and I even got a nod of approval from a Scania V8 driver. To put all this into context, the previous week I drove a new generation Volvo FH. Without a doubt a fantastic truck, but I didn’t get anywhere near this much of a reaction from other drivers.

The TGX is packed with new features. In addition to a digital instrument cluster, with its crisp and well-organised display, is a small colour screen set into the dashboard towards the driver’s left. This isn’t touchscreen, which will no doubt displease some people. But before you take to social media to vent your frustrations, there’s a very good reason for this.

As MAN points out, it could very easily have gone down the same route as rival Mercedes-Benz and borrowed a touchscreen from any of the VW Group car brands, but instead, chose to develop its own truck-specific screen. It says the reasoning behind this costlier decision is that touchscreens aren’t particularly user-friendly when a driver is bouncing around on an air-suspended seat.

Instead MAN has developed the SmartSelect control, a pair of push-button rotating dials, which allows the driver to navigate through the various menus with ease. At the truck’s launch, there was some concern that while this would feel natural for right-handed drivers in left-hand-drive

trucks, it would be awkward for those piloting right-hookers.

Well I’m right-handed, and can confirm that it felt completely natural to use. And because of the positioning of the screen in the top of the dashboard, I barely had to take my eyes off the road. It’s really intuitive too. In fact, there’s nothing about this truck that you wouldn’t be able to get to grips with after a decent vehicle handover.

It strikes me that MAN hasn’t introduced new technology for the sake of it. Instead, it’s simply moved with the times. Of course, there are older drivers who tend to resist any technological advances, but fortunately they tend not to use social media!

The new truck generation drivelines all remain unchanged, which is a good thing. In the case of the TGX this means D15, D26 or D38, with horsepower ranging from 330hp to 640hp. All three-axle prime movers are matched to the TipMatic (ZF TraXon) two-pedal gearbox. It’s quick and decisive, with absolutely no dithering while swapping gears.

This particular vehicle had a new low-friction drive-axle, with a taller 2.31 rear-axle ratio. When coupled with the new EfficientCruise, it contributes to that claimed fuel economy improvement.

The new TGX is a relaxing vehicle to drive, helped by a superb seating position, and in the case of this truck, a

MAN has clearly listened to drivers’ complaints, and ticked them off one by one in the design process. The result is an incredibly driver-friendly vehicle.

richly-equipped interior. With arm-rest down, cooled seat on and adaptive cruise control engaged, this is about as good as truck driving gets.

The adaptive cruise even works in stop-start traffic now. Braking is smooth and gradual, and unlike earlier systems, it doesn’t anchor-up when faster cars cut in front of you on their way to the slip road. Likewise, when you press the resume button, there is no immediate changing down of gear, triggered by a mad panic to get back up to speed. Instead, no matter whether you are in Power or Efficiency mode, the acceleration is smooth and

refined. But make no mistake, if you prod the throttle with a little urgency, you are rewarded with a punchy and immediate response.

The D38 is quite a high-revving engine, and doesn’t lug like the D26. And if you select the power mode, it holds gears for an additional 100rpm. As you’d expect with 640hp on tap, hills pose very little challenge at 44 tonnes. Only once on my drive did it drop a gear on a motorway incline, but the speedometer needle didn’t even flicker.

The TGX isn’t a particularly quiet truck. But before you Tweet your disgust, let me explain that this is a very good thing indeed. The 15.2-litre D38 may not have as much power as the Volvo FH16, but in my opinion it sounds so much better. Put a serious hill in its path, give it some welly, and enjoy hearing the lion roar.

I reckon MAN has done a great job with new truck. It’s clearly listened to drivers’ complaints, and ticked them off one by one in the design process. The result is an incredibly driver-friendly vehicle.

As for those outspoken social media pundits, for all I know, half of them pr obably aren’t even old enough to drive. I bet they’d have noticed Ms Kardashian’s’s truck stop antics!

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION Model: MAN TGX 26.640 6x2 mid-lift Engine: D38 15.2-litre, 6-cylinder Euro-6d Power: 631hp at 1,800rpm Torque: 3,000Nm at 900rpm – 1,400rpm Transmission: MAN 12-speed TipMatic (ZF TraXon) GVW: 44 tonnes