test drive
ANTHEM STRUTS ITS STUFF The covers are finally off Mack’s new Anthem and, right now, various versions are headlining a national ‘Evolution Tour’ alongside significantly upgraded SuperLiner and Trident models. While the Anthem certainly won’t be all things to all people, it’s what the new model brings to the breed that has the bulldog brethren feeling pumped and positive. Steve Brooks climbs behind the Anthem wheel for an exclusive first test drive as the new Macks hit the road
N
OT SO LONG AGO, three Anthems, a Super-Liner and a Trident left Brisbane early one morning, heading south on the first leg of what Mack is promoting as a national ‘Evolution Tour’. Over several months, the trucks will travel many of the country’s major routes from east to west and back again, stopping to showcase not just Anthem but the significant safety and cab developments on Super-Liner and Trident, which altogether make these Macks something special. Even so, as the five trucks punched down the Pacific Highway towards Sydney, the Super-Liner and Trident at first glance appeared little different to the current crop. From any angle, though, Anthem is definitely a breed apart. Visually, there’s never been anything like Anthem and, typically perhaps, early reports and various photos from the US, and more recently, Australia, have delivered vastly mixed opinions of the truck’s idiosyncratic hood design. Quite simply, some like the look of it, some don’t. Again, it’s just typical of a trucking population with as many opinions as pub politics. Not so typical though, and certainly surprising, was the lack of comment over the UHF radio during a short 200km stint behind the wheel. There was plenty of truck traffic heading the other way and, given the model’s unique
56 MARCH 2021
OWD_338_056-61_FEA_Mack Anthem_GB.indd 56
ownerdriver.com.au
24/02/2021 11:03:22 AM
