MAN TGX D38 up close

There’s more to MAN’s new 15-litre truck than meets the eye

Although the highlight of the new MAN TGX D38 is its impressive 15.2-litre six-cylinder overhead-cam common-rail twin-turbo engine, there are a host of technical advancements hidden under the skin.

We got up close and personal with the new truck during the launch at Mount Cotton in Queensland and although the drive we had was brief, it did give us a taste of what this impressive truck is all about.

The stats certainly speak for themselves – the output of the truck is a claimed 560hp (411kW) with an impressive 2000ft-lb (2700Nm) of torque. But it’s where that torque is achieved that’s even more impressive. According to MAN, the maximum torque is available from a low 930rpm right through to 1350rpm meaning that drivers can run the engine on surprisingly low revs and therefore achieve better fuel economy.

A mentioned, the engine runs two turbochargers – a high-pressure turbo and a lower-pressure one. The high-pressure turbo cuts in at low engine revs and the low-pressure turbo provides more assistance as the revs increase. These turbos are further assisted by a pair of air-to-water intercoolers.

The Euro 6 compliant engine is said to use up to three per cent less fuel than an equivalent 540hp Euro 5 engine due to its third-generation high-pressure common-rail injection system that runs up to 2500 bar.

Transmission

The MAN TipMatic2 automated manual 12-speed gearbox, standard in the TGX D38, has three modes, Idle Speed Driving, Speed-Shifting and Efficient-Roll.

Idle Speed mode is like a crawler gear and allows the driver to manoeuvre the truck very slowly, making it ideal for working in the tight confines of a loading dock. It also makes stop-start driving on congested roads easier and more comfortable, we're told.

Once under way, the truck moves at a low idling speed of around 600rpm without the need to press the accelerator. If there is insufficient engine torque at idling speed, it shifts down a gear and, for safety, the clutch disengages the moment the driver presses the brake pedal.

With Speed-Shifting mode, the MAN TipMatic2 upshifts faster between the three highest gears 10, 11 and 12 and rapidly downshifts on inclines to maintain speed and use less fuel.

The Efficient-Roll mode saves fuel by automatically shifting into neutral without engine braking, on slight declines on highways and country roads. This allows the truck to travel with the additional momentum gained from the decline. However, if the truck speed exceeds the specified or permitted speed, the MAN TipMatic2 automatically re-engages gear.

The TGX D38 also has the MAN EfficientCruise GPS-controlled cruise control, which uses saved topographical map data to detect gradients on the route.

Following route information input from the driver, this cruise control can calculate a speed for optimising fuel consumption and increase and decrease speed based on the topography.

On the road

Inside, the TGX is neat and comfortable. The suspension seat can be adjusted every which-way to get the driver comfortable and the muti-function steering wheel is also adjustable. Ergonomically, the cabin is great with everything easy to reach without having to stretch unduly.

The steering wheel offers controls for the stereo, phone, cruise control, dashboard display menus, and programmable speed limiter. To the left is the stereo with Bluetooth streaming, USB inputs and GPS.

In between the seats is a 36-litre fridge with a front section for drinks and the like. The front section is easy to open for the driver to grab a drink on the move, and there’s a rear section for larger food items. There’s also a table that folds out from the top of the fridge.

All around is storage including three cupboards above the windscreen and under-bunk storage that’s accessible from outside the cab.

The bunk is described by MAN as ‘Aussie driver’ sized and fitted with an inner-spring mattress. The floor is fairly flat and there’s room to stand up and get changed in the cab, and there’s a roof hatch for ventilation.

In terms of safety, the MAN TGX D38 has MAN’s Safety Pack Active+ which includes autonomous braking in the form of the company’s Emergency Brake Assist, MAN’s Lane Guard System (LGS3), Active Cruise Control, and Emergency Stopping Signal (ESS).

Also standard are Electronic Braking System (EBS), Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Program (ESP), Anti Spin Regulator (ASR) and Rollover Protection (ROP).

Although we didn’t get a lot of driving at the Mount Cotton test track, we did get a feel for the truck and we came away thinking that it was an easy truck to drive and very forgiving.

Our test truck was hitched to a single fridge trailer loaded to around 36 tonne gross and the TGX hauled the load with ease. I got to have a play with the low-down torque and had the truck down to 50km/h in ninth gear at well under 1000rpm – impressive.

This translates to a loaded truck doing 70km/h in top gear at under 1000rpm which is a great fuel-economy equation.

The gearbox changed smoothly and held gears well up the gradients without hunting for gears or excessive downshifting. The retarder worked well keeping the truck at a selected speed on the downhill runs.

Vision was great from the cab and the big mirrors gave an excellent view down the sides of the truck. Noise levels are low, but having said that, you can feel the grunt of the big 15-litre engine throbbing below. Gear changes were smooth, and similarly the suspension combined with the ISRI seat evened out the bumps nicely.

We'll bring you a full test of the new MAN when we can get our hands on one for a day or two.

Specifications:

GVM: 26,000kg

GCM: Up to 120,000kg

Cab: XLX high roof sleeper cab, ECE R-29 safety rated, 2440mm wide, 2280mm long

Engine: MAN D38, 15.2L six-cylinder common rail, twin turbocharged and intercooled, Euro 6 with SCR and EGR emission control

Power: 560hp/412kW

Torque: 2700Nm/1991ft-lb

Transmission: MAN Tipmatic ZF 12, 12-speed automated

Front Axle: MAN VOK-O9 dropped axle, 9200kg capacity

Front Suspension: Parabolic springs 8000kg capacity

Rear Axles: MAN Hyd-1370 / HY-1350 hypoid rear axles With diff locks and power divider, 2 x 13,000kg Capacity