Acid test for new Arocs

The testing, development and refining of the new generation of Mercedes-Benz trucks continues, with Mercedes-Benz Truck & Bus Australia Pacific announcing that a pre-production version of its new Arocs heavy-duty prime mover has been put to work in a road train format hauling cement powder in Western Australia.

The truck is a part of an evaluation fleet that now numbers 17 trucks, with each undergoing real-world testing with Australian operators to inform each model's development ahead of its official launch, slated for the end of 2016.

The latest truck to join the evaluation fleet is an Arocs 2663LS, which is powered by a new 16-litre in-line six-cylinder common-rail turbo-diesel featuring Mercedes-Benz's high-pressure X-Pulse injection. Mercedes-Benz says the X-Pulse system delivers better fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions.

The engine is part of a family of new powerplants that includes 8-litre, 11-litre and 13-litre options in both Euro 5 and Euro 6 formats and various power ratings. In this particular Arocs the 16-litre engine is rated at a hefty 625hp and 3000Nm.

The truck has been pressed into service with Perth-based operator, Matic Transport, and is now hauling road trains with a GCM of 110 tonnes up to the Pilbara town of Onslow, where it's delivering cement powder for the Wheatstone gas project.

According the Matic Transport's owner, Danny (Zdenko) Matic, the Arocs will soon be hauling up to 150 tonnes on the 2800km round trip.

"We plan to really make it work hard," he said.

"This is the heaviest combination we run; it is a long route in a hot climate. You can't get much tougher than this."

The operator knows Mercedes-Benz product well, already running the existing Actros model in both V6 and V8 guise in its fleet. Now, however, it will play an important role in shaping the next generation of Mercedes-Benz trucks, with the driver of the Arocs to provide detailed feedback to Mercedes-Benz engineers to assist in the model's development.

According to Justin Whitford, General Manager of Mercedes-Benz Truck & Bus Australia Pacific, the pre-release evaluation program will ensure the new trucks are truly 'fit for purpose' by the time they hit the Australian market.

"We've listened to our customers over the past two years and jointly developed a test pilot program that will ensure our vehicles are best prepared to support their businesses," he said.

"The feedback from our test group has been overwhelmingly positive and we're learning every day as to the world-class ability of our new range."

The Arocs engine is mated to the new Powershift 3 automated manual transmission, which is said to offer shift times up to 20 per cent faster than the current AMT. The steering system, chassis and cabin have all been redesigned, while the model will be offered with new safety innovations like Active Brake Assist 3, an autonomous emergency brake system.

Keep an eye out for the Arocs on WA's long, lonely highways – with its matt-black wrap and distinctive V-shaped bullbar, it shouldn't prove too hard to pick out – and check back at trucksales.com.au soon for a full review of the pre-production truck.

Related reading:
'Benz reveals next-gen timeline
First Drive: Mercedes-Benz Actros 2651