2012 Mercedes Benz Actros Review
May 2, 2012 by Vinod Khanchandani
Filed under Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes Benz Actros is a heavy duty truck designed, developed and engineered in 1995 by Mercedes Benz. It’s normally used for heavy duty distribution haulage, construction haulage and long distance haulage and is offered in weights starting at 18 tonnes. It is propelled by either V8 or V6 cylinder diesel powerplant with intercooler and turbocharger. Daimler Trucks/Lorries introduced the Actros’ version II in 2002. The 2012 Mercedes Benz Actros is the latest addition to the Mercedes Benz Commercial Vehicle range puts everything which has gone before it in the shade. Its contemporary cab offers the driver maximum comfort whilst delivering exceptional fuel economy. The new Actros is more outstandingly capable and now easier and safer to drive unlike any other truck which is gone before. The model range offers a vehicle configuration for just about any application in long distance transport.
Anyone wanting to stay ahead needs vehicles that meet this standard in every respect. So as to be able to provide you a vehicle which is optimum for long distance transport today and in the future in every respect, considering the constantly increasing demands where economy, comfort, variety and driving dynamics are concerned, the company planned to completely rebuild and redevelop the 2012 Mercedes Benz Actros. The result is a truck which puts everything that has gone before it in the shade. With its new cabs it offers you maximum comfort. You will be more profitable than ever before when out on the road in it, thanks to many expertly coordinated services and fuel-saving technical innovations. It is easier and safer to drive and more outstandingly capable than any other truck that’s gone before. It provides a perfectly configured vehicle for just about every application in long-distance transport, thanks to the vast range of equipment, appointments and model variants. Climb in and experience the new dimension of long-distance transport.
For levels of economy that put everything which has gone before in the shade, the truck maker have equipped the new 2012 Actros with many consumption reducing innovations and particularly frugal engines: there is up to 7 percent less consumption in the case of Euro V. Besides Euro V and EEV, the new 2012 Mercedes Benz Actros is one of the first vehicles to become offered with powerplants that already meet the norms of Euro VI – with a consumption advantage of up to 4 percent over its Euro V previous model. Together with the pioneering technology on board the new Actros, services that are perfectly customized to your needs also help to keep overall costs particularly low: they range from the telematics based FleetBoard system and Service Contracts, via attractive leasing and finance solutions to driver training courses for a driving style that cuts consumption – all measures which result in fewer costs and increased profit.
For an incomparably good driving feel we have given the new 2012 Actros a new groundbreaking rear axle guide, a steering system with a precise response and a wider, tauter frame. The powerplants are characterized by their immediate response and are offered in four output segments to 375 kW (510 hp) from 310 kW (421 hp). In combination with the standard specification Mercedes PowerShift 3 automated transmission and extra driving programs they ensure economical driving enjoyment. Plus the new Actros puts many other benefits firmly on the road, such as freely selectable frame overhangs for better body-mounting ability and an extended range of wheelbases.
A tank volume of up to 1300 in the case of semitrailer tractors and flexible combination options where the individual tanks are concerned, increase suitability for various operating profiles further still. In short, with the new Actros you have at your disposal a vehicle which is perfectly tailored to your requirements for practically any application in long-distance transport. Discover all this on the following pages, or pay a visit to your local Mercedes Benz dealer.
A modern workplace, an attractive living area and at the same time room for restful sleep – the redesigned cabs for the new Actros meet this standard in every respect. This is especially true of the GigaSpace. It offers an exciting way of experiencing the new dimension in long distance transport, with its impressive headroom1) of 2.13 m, for instance, and the optimum ratio of stowage capacity and freedom of movement. The new Actros sets benchmarks where its width is concerned, too, because the variants with a width of 2300 mm are available with a level floor throughout as an option. And all variants offer generous headroom.
Better ergonomics with practical solutions was the remit when it came to creating the new workplace – and what sounds so simple and feels so good when out on the road is actually the result of a whole series of finely matched components – in both ergonomic and functional terms. These include the newly developed seats, the new cockpit projected towards the driver, the stowage compartments that are easy to reach from the driver’s seat and the new multifunction steering wheel. In short: everything is precisely tuned to workflows in long distance transport and can be operated intuitively. Crucial factors for the pleasant atmosphere in the new Actros are the homely interior design with its friendly color concept, the clear design idiom and the high-quality, perfectly processed and easy to clean materials, plus the clear separation of living area and workplace.
The well thought out living concept ensures maximum relaxation during breaks. Restful sleep comes courtesy of newly developed beds, whilst numerous practical details and optional interior designs increase wellbeing and add a very personal, individual touch to the new dimension when it comes to cab comfort.
With its graphics-capable 10.4 cm TFT color display and many new functions and readouts, the new instrument cluster – which also comes as standard – facilitates fast, comprehensive – not to mention extremely clear – display of all the readings. These include information from the FleetBoard EcoSupport1), from three trip computers or shift data for two drivers. The straightforward, intuitive menu navigation, non-reflective legibility and the simplification of the departure check routine are further characteristic elements of the new instrument cluster.
As an option an instrument cluster with a 12.7 cm TFT color display and a variant with a video function are available. The latter can also display the images from an additionally connectable reversing camera. They all have in common the fact that their fundamental functions can be controlled via the new multifunction steering wheel: telephone calls can be taken, for example, driver assistance systems activated and deactivated, and radio settings changed. This makes for considerably more safety and operating comfort, ensuring that work and comfort go hand in hand in the new Actros.
All the seats in the Actros have been completely redeveloped. As a result, the adjustment range both lengthwise and for height is larger, the controls are arranged intuitively and in such a way that they are easily legible, whilst the seat cushions define a new benchmark in long-distance transport, being 40 mm wider than those in the predecessor model. The standard suspension seat impresses with its good seating comfort and many setting options, and is available with covers made of flat-weave fabric or, as an option, in velour or man-made leather. All of our long-distance cabs feature the ex-factory comfort suspension seat with a velour seat cover. It also boasts integral belt-height adjustment, shoulder adjustment and a greater adjustment range for the seat cushion inclination – all of which were not present in the previous model. As an option it is available with covers made of high-quality leather.
Maximum seating comfort comes courtesy of the new climatised suspension seat, which diverts heat and moisture from the seat in a targeted manner, and whose covers are characterized by very good climatic properties. On request the comfort and climatised suspension seat are available with a back-massage function and a leather seat featuring sophisticated workmanship. But the new Actros also shows what makes an optimum workplace with its stowage compartments, which provide precisely what drivers need. They are perfectly positioned within reach of the driver’s seat and represent the ideal solution for storing things needed during the journey. There is a wide choice of radios. All the radios have a USB and Aux-in interface for connecting other devices. The standard unit includes CD and Bluetooth connectivity. There is an option which includes navigation and an excellent sound system with eight loudspeakers including a subwoofer 1) which meets the most discerning requirements.
Freedom of movement aplenty, lots of stowage space, maximum functionality and a pleasant atmosphere throughout – where living comfort is concerned, too, the new cabs for the Actros leave virtually nothing to be desired. In short: during breaks the new Actros offers drivers far more headroom than is usual and a huge amount of legroom when they are sitting down. Thanks to the folding table on the underside of the bed with an integral cutlery compartment and an optional refrigerator, drivers will be less dependent on service stations. A few simple steps are all it takes to convert the area from a living room to a bedroom. The standard-fit comfort bed on the bottom can be folded against the rear panel of the cab.
The comfort mattress – which also comes as standard – is made of cold foam with 7 zones, so drivers can look forward to an excellent night’s sleep. The multi-zone PremiumComfort cold-foam mattress is available as an option. An optional 600 mm-wide upper bed can be folded up by 90° in the GigaSpace for optimum freedom of movement. With many individual equipment items that are available on request the new Actros not only offers optimum working and living comfort – it also ensures that the needs of the driver and any co-drivers are taken care of.
The new Actros stands for a new dimension of living comfort – because the drivers’ best interests lay at the heart of the development process for the new cabs: it wasn’t only more room and more stowage space that were the focus of attention – it was all about the effective, functional interplay of both. Then it was necessary to select colors and materials which underline this philosophy to optimum effect – both to the touch and visually. By way of example, the light color scheme makes for a totally new, pleasant sense of voluptuousness, whilst at the same time emphasizing the distinct separation of the workplace and living area. And to ensure that everything stays looking this good for a long time, only high-quality materials which are particularly easy to clean have been used. The optionally available Home-Line and Style-Line interior designs highlight the spacious ambience and increase the individual feeling of wellbeing with lots of details inside and outside the cab.
The new Actros brings to the road many innovative solutions which cut consumption and CO2 emissions considerably – the basis being BlueEfficiency Power from Mercedes-Benz Trucks. The brand stands for technologies such as BlueTec that reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, for consumption optimized measures on the new Actros itself and for services that help to lower diesel consumption further still. In short: save fuel. Help to reduce impact on the environment.
With the 2012 Mercedes Benz Actros you have at your disposal a long distance vehicle which is even more economical when out and about than all the trucks we have ever built. In other words: thanks to a large number of product innovations the operating life and reliability of many components have been increased, the maintenance and repair costs cut and the consumption as a whole considerably reduced. In concrete terms this means that the new Actros is the technical and economical basis for a unique, particularly profitable global solution comprising a vehicle and services which are optimally tailored to it and which work together in perfect harmony, like the pistons of an engine – and thus play their part in creating a new dimension of economy.
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