New name for South Africans
Back in June 2013, the very first Mercedes-Benz Arocs rolled of the production line in Wörth, Germany. Since then, thousands of Arocs have been trundling around Europe. The Arocs name is, however, new to most South Africans. That’s because the local company only took the decision that all rigid trucks used for on and off-road applications in the distribution and construction sector would be known under the name Arocs earlier this year. I believe that it’s only a matter of time before the name becomes synonymous with construction – as has happened in Europe. That’s because it’s designed for arduous construction applications; this is a robust and reliable truck that’s created to go the distance!
Two models for South Africa
In Europe, the Arocs family is vast: it comes in heavy tipper, concrete mixer, construction materials transporter, semi-trailer tractor unit or special purpose guise. It’s also available in both chassis and semitrailer tractor variants with all conceivable wheel formulas. The range includes two-axle trucks with 4x2 or 4x4; three-axle vehicles with 6x2 and trailing or leading axles, 6x4 and 6x6 variants; and four-axle trucks with 8x2 and trailing axles, 8x4 (also with trailing axles), 8x6 and 8x8 variants! Impressive, huh?
But that’s because the European market is massive. The same cannot be said of sunny South Africa, so we have just two variants. The first is the Arocs 3336K/36, a versatile tipper chassis with a short rear overhang featuring robust planetary axles, a double disc clutch and drum brakes.
The second is the Arocs 3236B/51, an 8x4 concrete mixer with 35-ton Gross Vehicle Weight. With this model especially the engineers tried really hard to get weight out of the vehicle. Accordingly, it has a weight-optimised hypoid rear axle, lightweight aluminium fuel tank, disc brakes and aluminium rims too. Accordingly, this Arocs can transport 8m3 of ready-mixed concrete, which is pretty good.
A great place to be
For the time being, both vehicles are only available with one cab variant: the ClassicSpace S-Cab. It’s is a great place to be. The thing that I like most about it is the fact that you sit quite high (in fact, my knees were kind of in line with the window knob). This means that visibility is simply brilliant.
All-round visibility in my test truck was boosted by the fact that it was equipped with MirrorCam, which I absolutely love. I first experienced this technology in the Actros (which happens to be the first series production truck in the world to be equipped with this feature). Instead of the usual main and wide-angle mirrors, this system works with digital cameras (secured on the right and left on the roof frame) and digital displays. So, instead of having those big mirrors outside the truck, you have digital displays inside the vehicle. It’s incredible technology, because safety is improved (blind spots are a thing of the past) and so is fuel consumption (the little cameras are obviously way more aerodynamic than those big, bulky mirrors). We will see these technologies on our roads in South Africa – initially only in the Actros.
But back to the Arocs’ ClassicSpace S-Cab. I found the suspended driver’s seat to be very comfortable (the seat concept is apparently newly developed, and the seat cushions are wider than in previous Mercedes-Benz construction trucks). So that’s good for drivers with rather ample butts. Also, access and egress are easy thanks to the staircase-type entrance.
Efficient drivetrain
When I was in Germany, I drove the Arocs 4153 AK 8×8/4, which comes with an incredible a turbo retarder clutch (more about this technology in future articles) and 80-t drivetrain. Obviously, the Arocs in Europe is also powered by Euro 6 engines.
Rather ridiculously, as we all know, South African transport emission legislation only requires diesel vehicle compliance with Euro 2 emission standards. (As an aside, I always cringe when I must explain this overseas.) South African versions of the Arocs are currently available with a Euro 3 engine. It is the 12.8-litre OM460, which develops 265 kW (360 hp). I’ve experienced this engine before – in the South African spec’d Actros. It’s no powerhouse but it is a solid and economical powerplant that gets the job done.
Perfectly paired to an auto
With the latest Arocs, the OM460 is paired to an automated 16-speed Mercedes PowerShift 3 transmission – and the two go together like fish and chips. As I always say, I have no clue why any truck operator would ever opt for a manual transmission; they’re decidedly last century. The PowerShift 3 does a truly terrific job. It uses high-tech sensor technology for gear shifting to ensure gear selection in accordance with the given driving and load situation. Shift times are up to 20% shorter than those attainable with Mercedes PowerShift, and as much as 50% shorter in comparison with the Telligent automated gearshift.
Going down a gradient is easy peasy; overrun mode is identified, and the gear is held. The crawl function with integral manoeuvring mode makes pulling off easy and manoeuvring precise and responsive. You can even shift directly from 1 to R.
Furthermore, there are various transmission modes and additional functions to make driving easier in construction applications. I’m referring to the Off-Road Drive programme, which is pretty terrific for construction applications. It offers various driving modes – standard, economy, off-road and manual. You activate the programme via a tap of the finger on the steering-column lever, and then gear selection is adjusted according to the mode that has been chosen. In short, this gearbox makes even a novice driver look like a pro.
This new construction truck also boasts a new one- or two-disc clutch generation, which incorporates overload protection (there’s a warning system which is designed for vast levels of torque transmission up to 3000 Nm). The single plate clutch thickness has been increased by 20% versus the Arocs’ predecessor. This should bode well for the longevity of the clutch.
Warranty
The new Arocs construction truck comes standard with a one-year/unlimited kilometre complete vehicle warranty and a three-year/250 000km/5 000 hours standard warranty on the powertrain.
