Moses Akaigwe
Since its unveiling (along with the Actros) in the commercial vehicle segment last year, the all-new Arocs has earned the reputation of being the new force in the construction industry, one that promises to take on every challenge in the construction business with tailor-made solutions for every vehicle body.
While introducing the duo last year, the authorised general distributor of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria, Weststar Associates Limited, had assured truck users that the vehicles would be backed up with the best after-sales service and support the brand was well known for.
It is no surprise that, combining power, robustness and efficiency in a unique way, the Arocs has continued the 120-year old tradition of Mercedes-Benz trucks in the construction industry while bringing them into the future with innovative technology.
Designed to provide a reliable, high-torque drive configuration to suit the construction industry down to the ground, the Arocs offers a number of frame and suspension configurations developed to excel both on and off-road.
The new Arocs powerfully masters every driving situation, equipped with a robust and high-torque engine, Mercedes PowerShift 3 and a new unique suspension and frame design, all as standard. It comes with a durable powertrain that delivers precisely the power you need in off-road transportation, construction sites or extreme terrain.
The new Arocs also comes with increased ground clearance with high angles of approach to ensure optimised agility even in challenging road conditions. From platform vehicles and concrete mixers to heavy-duty tippers, the new Arocs is a particularly tough and robust vehicle, which according to users, meets various challenges in the construction industry and off-road transportation.
The OM473 (Euro III), a state of the art 6-cylinder in-line 15.6 liter engine opens a new dimension in high performance engines. The turbo compound unit transforms thermal energy into mechanical energy and thus increases the operating efficiency of the engine: the engine has additional power but lower fuel consumption by using the X-Pulse fuel-injection system which reduces the fuel quantity utilised in the engine.
The new Arocs comes with Mercedes PowerShift 3 as standard and manual gearshift as an option. The gearbox is 100 percent made by Mercedes-Benz ensuring the best integration with engine and axles, providing a wider range of gears for operation in optimal torque ranges and optimized start-off capabilities.
With Mercedes PowerShift 3 the driver gets the best shifting strategy at any time (30-50 percent faster gear changes than manual) with friction reduction for minimized wear and tear of the driveline. It provides a wider range of gears for operation in optimal torque ranges and various driving modes for different road situations, such as Power Mode, Crawl function and Rapid Reverse.
The narrow frame in the new Arocs comes with a width of 744 mm and a longitudinal member thickness of 8 or 9 mm, which is made of cold formed, high-strength fine-grained steel, is used in vehicles intended for deployment mainly on construction sites and for off-road driving. This ensures highest reliability and torsional flexibility even in difficult conditions.
The Arocs is also equipped with a durable steel suspension. For use in heavy-duty construction site operations, the steel suspension impresses with its robust, solid construction, high performance and loadability.