[Truck Home Original] Imported trucks have always been synonymous with high-end in China. For us, the most familiar ones should be imported heavy trucks, which have stunning appearance, luxurious interiors, and high-end configurations, all of which exude A strong temptation. However, foreign small and medium-sized trucks are relatively unfamiliar and rarely seen on a daily basis.

During the Hannover Auto Show, Truck Home formed a small team to go to Germany, and we happened to take this opportunity to have an eye-opening experience. Trucks from MAN, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are everywhere, generally with more than 300 horsepower. Do foreigners also think that more horsepower is better? Let’s sell it first.

Volvo FE350 takes humanistic care to the extreme

The moon in foreign countries is rounder? At least when it comes to trucks, yes. The first category of vehicles, headed by European trucks, has indeed exceeded the current domestic industry average in terms of technology and humanistic care. Although it is inseparable from the promotion of strict road regulations in European countries, the current gap cannot be ignored.

The Volvo FE series was born in 2006. In Europe, it is generally used in urban short- and medium-distance logistics, small engineering vehicles, urban sanitation transportation, etc. On display at the Volvo booth this time is a Volvo FE truck with 350 horsepower. What is more interesting is that there are some character display boards in the blind area of ​​the car. The design here has a special meaning, which will be revealed later.

There are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people, and the feelings this car brings to people are also varied. There are no exaggerated chrome-plated bright strips or rough line shapes. Even if the brand attributes are put aside, I believe the appearance of this car is enough to conquer your wallet. Of course, there is currently no such configuration in China.

Entering the cab, you can see the difference between domestic and foreign models at a glance. The Volvo FE truck uses airbag seats. The steering wheel, instrument panel, and center console are all designed just right. You won’t feel any plastic at all, and you won’t hear anything even when you squeeze the panel. Abnormal noise.

The central control layout seems to be similar to that of ordinary domestic trucks. It does not even have a multimedia system or even the chrome decoration that is heavily promoted by major manufacturers. However, if you look closely, you can find that the effort of this car should be spent on the functional design of the entire vehicle, such as engine idle speed adjustment, lane keeping system, hill start assist system, merging assist system, and collision warning system. .....I believe that for superficial reasons, everyone is more willing to choose a model with higher safety. Let’s not talk about it and just try to build a whole car.

In terms of power system, this Volvo FE truck uses a Euro VI engine model D8. The output power has now been increased to 350 horsepower and the maximum torque is 1,400 Nm. Matched with the engine is Volvo's own I-shift automatic transmission, which has extremely high transmission efficiency and the entire power system is very mature.

In terms of chassis, the entire Volvo FE uses an airbag suspension, the drive form is a 6X2 structure, and the rear axle can be lifted. If I remember correctly, European commercial vehicles have begun to use disc brakes in batches since 1996. The same is true for this Volvo FE. The entire vehicle has disc brakes to ensure that the vehicle has sufficient braking effect.

Volvo's main focus on safety and humanistic care are vividly demonstrated in this car. In addition to the full-vehicle disc brakes, active safety features such as lane keeping system, hill start assist system, merging assist system, collision warning system, etc. A first-class safety system is indeed a rare item in domestic light and medium-sized commercial vehicles. Anyway, I dare not think about it. Considering the price and freight, it is better to work hard to be well-off.

So, why is this car equipped with a 350-horsepower engine? In fact, I believe most experienced drivers have already guessed it. Combined with the road environment of European commercial vehicles, most trucks are not just used as bicycles. The rear of general trucks is designed with a traction seat and an electrical circuit junction, which can tow a full trailer, a center axle or even a yacht. It all depends on actual needs. Life is not just about buying goods, poetry is more distant.

Mercedes-Benz Atego truck, a big toy for rich people

Compared with the Mercedes-Benz Actos tractor and Unimog all-terrain off-road vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz Atego cargo truck may be a little unfamiliar to us. However, some figures can still be seen in special transportation fields such as domestic precious metal transportation, airports, and banks.

Atego belongs to the mid-truck truck series in the Mercedes-Benz truck family. Like the Mercedes-Benz Actros, it is one of the leading figures in the Mercedes-Benz truck matrix. It occupies a huge market share in Europe and is mainly responsible for the transportation tasks between urban areas. Similarly, the Mercedes-Benz Atego chassis is also an all-rounder, and models with different wheelbase versions play an important role in municipal sanitation, cold chain transportation and highway combined transportation.

At the 2018 IAA Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz demonstrated the strength standards that a host should have and opened an independent exhibition hall to display the full range of Mercedes-Benz truck family models, including the Mercedes-Benz Atego 1630L truck. The new Mercedes-Benz Atego, known as the star of mid-sized trucks, officially entered the international stage around 2013 and was once rated as one of the most popular trucks in Europe.

The new Mercedes-Benz Atego 1630L on display this time adopts the design elements of Mercedes-Benz's fourth-generation cab. The whole car is designed in the same color and is full of beauty. The dazzling star logo, shield-shaped air intake grille, and its appearance alone make people salivate. Moreover, the Atego on display uses the L-cab BigSpace cab with the largest space, with an internal height of 2.3m. You can play or dance in it if you want.

In terms of cab space alone, there is no absolutely obvious difference between the seven major European luxury cars. Even so, the Mercedes-Benz cab also brought me a lot of surprises. When you open the door, the first thing you see is the airbag seat, which is equipped with various adjustment buttons including lumbar support adjustment, and can be adjusted in more than ten directions. The multi-function steering wheel feels very nice, and the steering wheel is designed with an airbag. In addition, the cab is also designed with a sleeper and a car refrigerator.

In addition, in terms of intelligence and safety, the central control area of ​​this Mercedes-Benz Atego is designed with a lane departure warning system, a forward collision warning system, and a body stability system. In addition, why is there no airbag height control button in the center console of this car? forget? Of course not. With the rigor of the Germans, it is impossible to make stupid mistakes. There is an airbag control handle next to the driver's seat, which can be operated casually under the car.

In terms of power, this Mercedes-Benz Atego is equipped with a Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder OM936 diesel engine with a maximum output of 220 kW/300 horsepower and a maximum output torque of 1,200 Nm, which meets the Euro VI emission standards. It is matched with the Mercedes-Benz Powershift3 gearbox. This smart gearbox also provides 4 modes for the driver to choose, namely standard driving mode, economical driving mode, low-speed driving mode and manual mode.

The new Mercedes-Benz Atego 1630L on display this time has a body wheelbase of 5360mm. In terms of chassis, as mentioned above, Europe began to apply disc brakes and air suspension a few years ago, and the same is true for the Atego exhibited by Mercedes-Benz this time. In terms of safety, various blessings such as full-vehicle disc brakes, ASR\EBS and intelligent active safety systems make Atego one of the safest medium-sized trucks.

Most of the time, European trucks are not just used as single vehicles. The rear of this truck is also designed with a towing pin and an electrical circuit valve port to tow various trailers or equipment, greatly improving the comprehensive utilization of the vehicle. In addition, it is understood that the new Mercedes-Benz Atego will provide 15 different wheelbase lengths, ranging from 3020mm to 6260mm. Even if you have picky needs, the new Mercedes-Benz Atego can provide you with a perfect solution.

It is more like a big toy for wealthy people than a truck. Driving such a car is not a pleasure.

MAN TGM 18.320 truck is highly lightweight

When it comes to MAN TGM, I believe everyone is familiar with it. Since its launch in 2005, TGM trucks have become the mainstay of MAN's medium and heavy truck models, with curb weights ranging from 12 to 26 tons. Models with different wheelbase versions are very popular in European municipal sanitation, road transportation and special fields. At the Hannover Motor Show, a MAN TGM 18.320 truck chassis was on display at the MAN booth in Germany.

The exterior design changes of the new TGM truck mainly focus on the front face. Compared with the previous generation model, the V-shaped design features are more obvious. Some streamlined elements are incorporated into the side guide grooves, and the MAN LOGO position in the middle is replaced by an integrated one. The overall style features of the decorative strips are very similar to those of the Man TGX, making it more youthful.

Although TGM and TGX are very similar in appearance, the interior styles are different. In addition to bringing novel feelings to the human-computer interaction experience, in terms of texture, it is almost difficult to find flaws in the steering wheel, center console, platform and other locations. Of course, these are inseparable from the persistence of German people and German companies in things and their pursuit of excellence.

In the central control area, you can see some safety configurations of this TGM. A series of configurations include lane departure warning system, hill start assist and body stability system. In addition, the MAN shift knob that we are very familiar with has also been moved to the center control area, with creep mode.

This TGM model is 18.320, which is the most powerful one in the TGM series. In terms of power system, it uses a MAN D08 in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine with a maximum power of 235 kW/320 horsepower and a maximum output torque of 1,250 Nm. In terms of gearbox, it uses the intelligent MAN TipMatic 12 automatic gearbox. The smart gear shifting logic can greatly reduce labor intensity. It is not that easy to find a manual gearbox at a car show.

The chassis is the same as other European trucks. The rear of the frame is designed with electrical and gas line interfaces to connect different trailer equipment. However, this show car may not have a towing pin installed because it has not yet been equipped with equipment. There are experienced drivers who know this aspect and may wish to share their experience.

In my personal opinion, the chassis is the most beautiful thing about this car, and it is also one of the core advantages of this car---it is highly lightweight. European trucks also have strict restrictions on the total vehicle weight. In terms of chassis, in addition to being equipped with the air suspension and disc brakes that are standard on European trucks, MAN TGM also has multiple beams, structural parts, component supports, etc. It has different degrees of hollow designs to ensure that your weight will not exceed the standard.

Renault D14.240 truck is biofuel compatible

Since Renault Trucks entered the Chinese market later than Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Scania, most customers are very cautious when choosing high-end European trucks with very high prices. Since there are not many actual operational references, Renault Trucks is a bit "acclimated" in China and its visibility is not high under such circumstances.

However, as one of the seven major European brands, French Renault Trucks still occupies a good market share abroad. During the Hannover Motor Show, Renault Trucks released a number of new models and new technologies, and the Renault D-series truck is one of them.

The product type classification of European trucks is very different from that of domestic trucks. In terms of vehicle form, the Renault D 14 240 truck should fall into the category of medium trucks. The design concept of the D series heavy trucks is more personalized. The inverted trapezoidal front mask is somewhat similar to the villain in the movie. It is very fierce, even overbearing and a bit unreasonable. However, in fact, every design of French trucks is very particular, and I personally prefer this kind of design.

The interior design of the cab is also a matter of opinion. Compared with the various traditional gear levers and button layouts that we are accustomed to, the small internal components of the Renault D-series truck seem to have their own styling style. In terms of functional area layout, Renault is also equipped with systems such as distance display, anti-collision warning, lane departure warning, and hill-start assist. This is also a theme of intelligent safety at this Hannover Motor Show. Each of the seven giants has its own specialty.

Among the models on display this time, the fuel system of the Renault D 14 240 truck is unique in the auto show and is compatible with biofuels. The car is equipped with a DT15 engine, which meets the Euro VI emission standards. In terms of parameters, the engine has a maximum output of 176 kilowatts/240 horsepower and can provide a maximum power output of 900 Nm. The transmission uses the very mature ZF ZF6FAS 6-speed automatic transmission in Europe.

Different from the previous vehicles, the front suspension of this Renault D 14 240 truck uses a reinforced single leaf spring plate suspension, and the rear axle is air suspension. In fact, there is no need to worry about the load capacity. In Europe, such models are rarely used as bicycles, and it is even less likely to be seriously overloaded. Even when towing a full trailer, it is loaded within the scope allowed by regulations.

It is worth mentioning that the Renault D 14 240 truck released this time can not only use traditional diesel as fuel, but also completely use HVO biofuel, or mix it with traditional diesel, without affecting the maintenance plan and Overall vehicle performance. If all biofuels are used, carbon emissions will drop directly.

In order to encourage the development of renewable fuel technology, EU government authorities and institutions strongly support and encourage the use of biodiesel. The relevant fuel technologies exhibited by each company at the Hannover Motor Show are enough to prove that this trend will become a fixed trend in the future.

Biodiesel: Extracted from animal and vegetable oils. It refers to oil crops such as soybeans, rape, cotton, palm and other wild oil plants and aquatic plant oils such as engineered microalgae, as well as animal oils, catering waste oil, etc. as raw material oil, which can replace petrochemical diesel through the transesterification process. Renewable diesel fuel is a sustainably renewable fuel.

DAF XF 480 truck exchange box chassis with traction

At this year's Hannover International Commercial Vehicle Show, DAF, a truck brand from the Netherlands, brought its DAF CF Electri electric truck and the latest LF, CF and XF series models. Among them, the new DAF XF was unveiled at the 2012 Hannover Motor Show. Six years later, what changes has this new XF brought?

The DAF XF 480 truck chassis in front of you should belong to the heavy-duty truck camp. Under "XF" there are also CF and LF series models, which have the same specifications as the "Space Cab" cab on DAF heavy-duty tractors. Pay more attention to the comfort and activity space of drivers and passengers.

In fact, this is indeed the case. The DAF Space Cab cab is a flat-floor cab, so there is no pressure at all when moving inside. However, we don’t see many new elements added to the interior of the cab. DAF’s various function buttons and panel modules are relatively rounded. Compared with other brands, the atmosphere is more restrained and low-key. As for the safety configuration, it goes without saying that with the globalization of the supply chain, no one will fall behind in the active safety technology of European trucks.

In terms of power system, the DAF XF 480 truck is equipped with a Paccar 13-liter engine with a maximum output of 483 horsepower and a maximum torque of 2500Nm at 900-1125 rpm. It is matched with a ZF Traxon mechanical automatic gearbox. According to official information, the XF model is equipped with an Eco control system. The Eco Performance Mode system ensures a balance between power and optimal fuel efficiency.

I believe you have discovered the difference of this chassis truck. There are locks and fixing devices on the frame, which are used to quickly connect and stabilize the cargo compartment. This form of transportation is similar to that of a container, called a "swap box", and can be used In "dump box" logistics. When the main vehicle exchange box and the trailer exchange box are of the same specification, a more flexible "box drop + drop and hitch" form can be realized.

If regulations permit, "dump box transportation" can realize "one drag and N". In Germany, the use of "swap box" dump box transportation is very common, and its advantages are very obvious. In addition to short exchange time and high transportation efficiency. In addition, due to the "load first and then unload" operation method, the operation can be more balanced, and the exchange box can also be used as a temporary warehouse to reduce site pressure.

In fact, the 480-horsepower model in this article seems to have broken away from the category of medium-sized trucks we described above. In fact, the reason why it is displayed here is to compare some differences between domestic and foreign vehicles in road transportation.

In terms of vehicle hardware design, European truck design does have many leading points. At this stage in China, there are still a few problems with main-axle ABS matching. The connection and matching of center-axle trailers and road trains are even in the exploratory stage. In fact, Europe has already begun the extensive application of road trains and drop-and-hook transportation, with different vehicle models. The horsepower segment is a gap we have to face squarely.

From the perspective of humanized design of vehicles, perhaps configurations such as improving safety can be solved through rapid stacking configurations in the era of globalized supply chains. However, in terms of human-centered vehicle design, it seems that domestic commercial vehicles still have a long way to go.

After reading the introduction of the 5 cars, which one are you most interested in? Please leave a message in the comment area below, and we will provide a more detailed introduction in the future.

Editor of this article: Gou Zusheng

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