Mercedes-Benz’s new Atego range has been elected International
Truck of the Year 2011 by a group of 23 European commercial vehicle
journalists, representing 23 countries throughout Europe from
Ireland to Russia, and Scandinavia to Greece. With a total of 127
votes, the new Atego range fought off the challenge posed by
Volvo’s latest FM/FMX Series, which collected 82 votes, while
Scania’s powerful long-haul V8 fnished in third place with 45
votes.
According to jury rules, the ITOY award is presented every year
to the truck launched in the previous 12 months which has made the
greatest contribution to road transport effciency in terms of
innovation, comfort, safety, driveability, fuel consumption and
emission reduction.
Building on the success of its previous model, Mercedes-Benz has
delivered a new medium-duty truck with two distinct ‘souls’. The
frst is that of a well-tuned, conventionally-powered truck range
with many of the ‘big truck’ features previously found in Mercedes’
heavier Axor and Actros models. The second, the 12-tonne Atego
hybrid, is now in series production and in the vanguard of
‘alternative-driveline’ vehicles that will increasingly feature in
road-transport feets over the coming years.
On the outside, the latest Atego now has the same family ‘face’
as Mercedes-Benz’s heavy duty truck models with its newly-designed
front section and grille. While underneath its cab, the Atego
medium truck range now incorporates many of the features previously
found in the Actros and Axor. The result of that ‘technology
transfer’ in the Atego is a more comfortable and quiet workplace
with better storage and neat steering wheel controls.
From a safety perspective, the IToY jurors also appreciated the
latest option of a lightweight-yet-powerful auxiliary retarder that
spares foundation brakes in most operating conditions, keeping
service costs down too. Equally praiseworthy, is Mercedes’ optional
‘stop-start’ system that prevents long idling, cutting fuel
consumption and emissions in traffc jams.
Moreover, the 12-tonne 1222 Atego Hybrid - now in series
production - opens a whole new opportunity for the company in
distribution trucks. With its ability to start off in electric
mode, thereby saving fuel, its ‘stop-start’ system and advanced
driving function at hi-speed (eco-roll), the Atego Hybrid answers,
well in-advance, the future need to cut fuel consumption by 10-15%
as well as lower CO2 emissions. And this will be a critical issue
for commercial vehicles operating in EU over the coming years.
Having tested the Atego Hybrid twice in the previous 12 months,
the jury was impressed by how well Mercedes-Benz’s engineers have
integrated the hybrid drive-train into the Atego’s conventional
driveline. This translates into an advanced, well-refned medium
duty truck that is easy-to-drive but requiring the minimum of
training.
Summing up the jury’s vote, the International Truck of the Year
chairman Gianenrico Griffni commented: “Mercedes-Benz has delivered
a new, multi-faceted, medium-duty truck. Not only does the latest
Atego now offer distribution truck drivers many of the features
previously found in heavier ‘premium’ long-haulage trucks, but its
advanced parallel-hybrid model also addresses the on-going problem
of reducing the CO2 footprint from commercial vehicles throughout
the EU. This truly is a truck with two souls.”
http://www.truck-of-the-year.com/