Mercedes-Benz Actros 2663 GigaSpace 2023 Review

The Mercedes-Benz Actros 2663 is the biggie of the Actros range. With its 15.6-litre six-cylinder engine putting out 630hp and 3000Nm, it is the most powerful Actros available.

And now with the optional GigaSpace cab, it is also the roomiest. The GigaSpace cab increases the volume of the Actros cab not in length but in height. According to Mercedes-Benz Trucks Australia, the length of the cab remains the same: “It is no longer than the standard Actros cab, maintaining its versatility regarding overall length regulations,” we were told.

Where the GigaSpace wins is in its height and its storage. The interior of the cab now measures 2.13 metres from the floor to the ceiling in the middle of the cab, allowing even the tallest of drivers to stand up and move around in the cab without stooping.

The GigaSpace also allows for three generous cupboards to be fitted above the windscreen, the central one being kitted up for an optional microwave oven so the driver can enjoy a hot meal or a cuppa when on a break or at the end of a day’s driving.

Our Actros GigaSpace reviewed here was optioned to the hilt, with many of the boxes ticked concerning the latest in Mercedes-Benz technology. In fact, we’d hazard a guess that this truck is probably one of the most technologically advanced prime movers on the road.

First and most obvious is the MirrorCam system. Mercedes-Benz was the first to introduce cameras instead of rear-view mirrors in its trucks; in fact, the Actros was the first vehicle of any kind in this country to be allowed on the road with just cameras.

We first saw the MirrorCam on an Actros at the Brisbane Truck Show in 2019 prior to its launch in 2020.

Our test truck was fitted with the second-generation of MirrorCam which has new stalks jutting out just behind the A-pillars above the doors. In this generation, the stalks carrying the cameras are 100mm shorter than previously, offering even less drag. The screen resolution has also been improved, along with an improvement in vision in low-light conditions.

Another option in the truck was the latest iteration of Active Drive Assist. This system uses an electric motor located on the steering box to provide assistance in addition to the standard hydraulic power steering. This electric assistance also enables SAE Level 2 partially autonomous driving capability. Active Drive Assist helps to actively steer the truck and keep it in the centre of its lane, although the driver is still required to hold the steering wheel.

The system is one step ahead of some current systems that can push a truck back into the lane should it wander out. The Mercedes-Benz Trucks system actually helps to steer the truck in the first place and aims to prevent it getting out to the edge of the lane. The Lane Keeping Assist system is best described as being proactive rather than reactive.

Another great feature of this system is that if the driver takes his or her hands off the wheel and doesn’t put them back on and provide some steering input, the system will detect that something is wrong and bring the vehicle to a gentle stop in the lane. It will then turn on the hazard lights and unlock the doors. It’s a system not unlike the ‘deadman’s hand’ system on trains.

Our final interesting option was Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC), which uses topographic map data and GPS to help the truck anticipate terrain and select the optimum shift pattern and engine response for maximum fuel economy.

This system is used in conjunction with cruise control to improve the way the engine and transmission are controlled in order to save fuel, by adding anticipation technology to the fuel-saving mix. It’s able to help the truck make the best, and most economical, choice of throttle application and gear selection.

The default system contains data for Australia’s A and B roads and many more. Additionally, the system learns the routes the truck travels on. PPC can be used with the cruise control at speeds between 25km/h and 100km/h.

We had the Actros GigaSpace for two days which had to incorporate our photo shoot, so we got to work early out of Mercedes-Benz Laverton for a run up the Pentland Hills to Bendigo. The plan after that was to head up through central Victoria and over the Murray River to Moama in NSW for the night and then head back to Melbourne the next day.

The ’Benz was rigged with a single trailer loaded to 40 tonnes so with all that grunt on board, it was a bit of a hot rod. We breezed up the Pentlands with a few photo opportunities along the way and then back down, all the while testing our new electronic systems that worked a treat.

After dropping my photographer and a Mercedes-Benz exec off at the dealership, I had the big ’Benz all to myself for the run up through Victoria, doing what these rigs were designed for – an interstate delivery run, albeit a pretend one.

The Actros 2663 is a dream truck to drive in its standard form but the optional extras make it even better.

I have heard varying reports from drivers and other journos about the MirrorCam system, but I like it. Admittedly, I only had one trailer on, and the negative reports I’ve heard are all from drivers of B-doubles, but I found it great. I like the gradients on the screens that show exactly how far back other vehicles are, and when it’s safe to change lanes or pull back in after overtaking, and I really like the spotter screen on the bottom which shows if there is anything in the blind spots – especially on the left.

The resolution is great too, and because you don’t have any big mirrors hanging outside, you’ve got a lot more peripheral vision, which is handy at intersections and roundabouts.

On this test, I got to drive in all manner of conditions, from bright daylight to early-morning dark with rain and even fog. All the while, the MirrorCam system worked perfectly. Not a drop on the camera lenses, and in the dark and rain I reckon they’re clearer than regular mirrors.

And I’m similarly enamoured of the Active Drive Assist. This is a great feature that actually lets the driver take a little ‘break’… I’m not the kind of driver to leave it on all the time, but I found that if I needed to do something like take a drink of water or even change the music on the stereo (great stereo, by the way), I could flick on the ADA, do what I had to do and then get on with the driving safe in the knowledge that if my eyes left the road for a moment, the truck would hold its course and speed.

I also like the safety factor of the way it will stop if something happens to the driver. Perhaps one day, all heavy vehicles will have something similar.

As part of this review, I wanted to stay in the truck and really test the sleeper, so after a nice dinner and a couple of well-earned beers, I got a lift out to the truck which was parked just out of town, and hit the sack.

According to Mercedes-Benz, the Actros trucks are fitted with an Aussie-made inner-spring mattress – and it’s an absolute beauty. We recently ran a story on the best mattress to get for your truck, and let me say that the one in the Actros is one of the best I’ve ever slept on.

I had a great night’s sleep. The insulation was terrific, and I didn’t get freezing cold or woken up by the other vehicles running up and down the highway. I woke in the morning to the sound of rain high above my head – another good thing about the high roof is that the rain is further away – and was happy that I could get up and walk around in the cab to get dressed and prepare for the drive ahead.

In the sleeper, you’ve got controls for such things as the lights, the volume for the stereo, and a switch for the electrically controlled roof hatch. There is also storage for stuff like books and magazines, your phone and other necessities of life in a truck.

Our test truck was fitted with the optional second bunk which folds up and can be used for your bag or spare bedding. However, I reckon I’d delete that and go for some more storage.

There is no doubt, the Mercedes-Benz Actros is a great truck. The engine and gearbox work extremely well together, the fit and finish is as you’d expect from the German brand and now with the GigaSpace cab, there are even more options in the range.

And they’re economical too. On the first day of our trip, which included ripping up and down the Pentland Hills on Melbourne’s outskirts, I got 2.17km/lt, while on the second day, which entailed a quick blast from Moama down to Melbourne, I saw a best of 2.38km/lt. Admittedly, I only had one trailer on, but I was at 40 tonnes, so it was pretty good.

With many companies struggling to attract and retain drivers, I think there will be a rush on these larger-cab trucks. It certainly is in employers’ interests to offer the best package for their top drivers and that includes trucks with features like the GigaSpace.

That, combined with the fact that these trucks are getting safer all the time, would lead us to assume that we’ll see more of these big-cab trucks on the road in the years to come.

Specifications:
Mercedes-Benz Actros 2663 GigaSpace 6x4 prime mover
Engine: OM473 15.6-litre six-cylinder
Output: 630hp and 3000Nm (2213Nm)
Transmission: 12-speed PowerShift automated manual transmission with 3.583 rear axle ratio (1436rpm at 100km/h)
Fuel tank: 1100L – 370L RHS, 730L LHS with integrated 110L AdBlue tank
Optional equipment:
Predictive Powertrain Control
Active Drive Assist
GigaSpace cab
MirrorCam (second generation)