Virtual ceremony
The sought-after award was handed to Andreas Tostmann, Chief Executive Officer of MAN Truck & Bus, during a virtual ceremony that took place at MAN’s headquarters in Munich, Germany, on 23 November 2020.
The ceremony started with the announcement of the winner by International Truck of the Year Chairman Gianenrico Griffini at the magnificent Villa Reale di Monza (Royal Villa of Monza) in Milan. The spectacular villa has belonged to the Austrian and Italian royal families. Once Griffini had announced the winner, he popped the trophy into a storage compartment of a TGX painted in gold. The truck then drove to Munich to deliver the trophy to Tostmann.
The TGX – launched globally in spectacular fashion in Bilbao in February this year – will come to South Africa in the fourth quarter of 2021.
With a winning score of 155 votes, the German truck manufacturer’s flagship fought off the strong challenge posed by Volvo Trucks’ new FH range, which comes to South Africa at the beginning of quarter two in 2021. The votes were collated by Dekra, which also certified the final result.
Judging criteria
The International Truck of the Year award has been around for some time; it was originally launched in 1977 by the British journalist and editor of Truck magazine Pat Kennett. Today, the combined truck-operator readership of the jury members’ magazines exceeds one million!
But what does it take to win the International Truck of the Year? Quite a lot, actually. The rules state that the annual award is presented to the truck introduced into the market in the previous 12 months “that has made the greatest contribution to road transport efficiency”. Several important criteria are considered, including technological innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel economy, environmental footprint and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
TGX impresses all round
The TGX ticks all of these boxes – and then some. Martin Schatzmann, who represents Switzerland on the jury, says the TGX got his vote because it is good news for the driver and the truck owner alike.
Arjan Velthoven, who represents The Netherlands on the jury, agrees. “The MAN TGX is the true International Truck of the Year 2021! With its new design and smart interior, it has everything a driver can ask for. Its very good driveline and useful technology offer a lot to the operator as well,” he points out.
Schatzmann is particularly impressed with the dash. “Besides the new electric backbone, the modular cabin structure, the new safety technologies and the new services, I am also thrilled by the new dashboard. I particularly appreciate MAN's decision not to use touchscreens,” he comments.
Superb interior
Rasmus Haargaard, who represents Denmark on the jury, agrees that the interior is superb. “The new TG-generation raises the bar for MAN across all model series with a fully modern and driver-focused cockpit, as well as a massive gain in efficiency in terms of fuel consumption, usability and a future prepared cab and truck structure. The new workplace is modern, lean and comfortable,” he notes.
Jarlath Sweeney, who represents Ireland on the jury, was also taken with the new truck’s interior. “While the modifications to the new MAN TGX’s exterior styling can be described as an evolution of the species, the interior design is indeed a revolution! MAN took advantage of the Volkswagen Group’s hi-tech multi-media system to integrate its programmes through what’s called the MAN SmartSelect system, which is easy to use and works well. It’s 20 years since the inaugural arrival of the MAN TG range, then known as the Trucknology Generation. Now, as the Truck Generation, it's sharper, smarter and set in the digital era,” he points out.
In full agreement with Sweeney’s statements re the predecessor is Álvaro Pedroche, who represents Spain on the jury. “This new MAN range has taken a major step forward compared to its predecessor in terms of technology, design and fuel consumption. In addition, its Euro 6d engines in combination with the MAN TipMatic transmission and newly developed software increase efficiency, which reduces operating costs – a very important factor for all customers,” he points out.
Griffini believes that the truck has longevity. “With the introduction of the new TGX, MAN has delivered a future-oriented heavy-duty truck range, able to answer today’s and tomorrow’s transport needs,” he maintains.
“It looks fantastic”
But the final word on the subject goes to Will Shiers, who represents England on the jury. “MAN’s new TGX represents a giant leap forward in terms of both safety and driver comfort. What’s more, it looks fantastic. The external styling is bold, but it’s the interior where the new MAN truck generation really excites. MAN has clearly involved drivers in the design process, and there are so many clever little driver-friendly touches. I’m particularly fond of the Smart Select button, which is incredibly easy and intuitive to use.
“Throw a fuel economy improvement into the equation too, and you’ve got a worthy winner of International Truck of the Year,” he concludes.
We couldn’t agree more!
