On The Road
Moving off in the TipMatic is simplicity itself by turning the selector dial to one of the three start-up positions, D1, D3 or D5 as appropriate, then pressing the throttle. D3 covers most eventualities, in fact theonly time we used anything other than D3 was for the hill start in the middle of Dalkeith. Left to its own devices, TipMatic will visit every ratio when accelerating under full power. That this is not necessarily the most efficient process was demonstrated at the proving ground, when we used the manual override to take full gears instead of each spilt, and knocked six seconds off the 0-80km/h dash. However, as MAN was anxious that full use should be made of automatic mode, the very minimum of manual intervention was made.
Examples where it would be useful to hold a constant ratio include traffic queues approaching roundabouts, and when travelling at speeds around the 40mph limit where the transmission can be undecided whether to use 11th or 12th. We discovered during our second run that if it drops to 11th and you force it back to 12th manually twice, it will “learn” that it should stay in top.
Surprisingly, out on the road, the only time that MAN really showed its lack of outright power was while climbing relatively innocuous motorway gradients where it couldn’t wait to drop out of the overdrive top gear. Once in 11th, however, it would settle down and hold on forever at around 75km/h. This was with the 3.7:1 axle that comes with the TipMatic package. The actual change was smooth and very quick, coping well with the potentially truck-stopping A68 climbs. Mind you, watching the revs drop down to below 1,000rpm demands a real act of faith.
Unlike some of its competitors TipMatic has no dedicated function to optimise transmission behaviour for performance or economy, relying instead on its electronic brain’s ability to identify driving styles and adapt accordingly. There is meant to be a kickdown facility, but if it is there it has no discernible point of operation. One criticism of the controls (that is far from unique to MAN) is the lack of any confirmation that cruise control has been engaged. More than once we thought it had been selected, only to find that when the speed dropped that it hadn’t “taken”.
It’s also possible, although you soon learn, to confuse the buttons on the ends of the right-hand stalks, entering manual mode instead of turning the engine brake off, or vice versa. The use of the rotary knob to change direction is a matter of taste, but we found it a bit clumsy during protracted shunting.
The intrinsic ride characteristics of the MAN were fine, but every significant imperfection in the road surface saw the front suspension bottom out and send a shock wave through the steering wheel which ended up with a worrying knock from the top of the steering column. Also, the transmission’s propensity to use every gear became tiresome as it provoked cab nod with every shift. Yet more annoyance was caused by an intermittent knocking noise from beyond the driver’s right shin, and by the squeal as his electric window was raised.
Apart from the unwanted road messages, and the irritation of a misaligned steering wheel, the L’s handling was exemplary, with very precise steering. Due to a waterlogged surface on the proving ground we couldn’t measure the braking performance, but the all-disc EBS brakes never gave any cause for concern. The standard engine brake worked well in conjunction with the transmission, which automatically selected the correct ratio for optimum retardation.
But unlike most manufacturers these days, MAN hasn’t provided any link between the engine brake and the cruise control.
Visibility was very good, with the small extra side windows proving surprisingly useful in tight spots. The mirrors are excellent when dry, but any use of the powerful windscreen washers results in the mirrors being instantly soaked. And it would be a good idea to check the weather forecast before you leave the yard, as the manually operated sun blind on the passenger side is completely out of reach from the driving seat.
Cab Comfort
The extent by which the L cab has been reduced in width can be gauged by looking at the wheelarch flares. The loss of interior space is minimal, the door being cosily but not intrusively close to the driver. The large doors, with their bandit-aware central locking, open wide, giving easy access via three steps.
The relatively low-spec driver’s seat is air-suspended and has adjustment for cushion and backrest angle, height and reach, but despite its simplicity it is very supportive. The passenger is similar but without the air suspension. Seats, door panels and elbow rests are all identically cloth trimmed. Good quality materials are used throughout, with the sole exception of the grey plastic door handles, which look rather down-market by comparison. The steering column, with its foot operated adjuster is straddled by rotary switches for lights and diff lock, and carries three stalks. The substantial left stalk, which takes a manly effort to move, controls lights, wipers and indicators, while the main one on the right looks after cruise control and transmission. A smaller stalk in front of it operates the engine brake, and the Intarder, when fitted.
The instrument panel houses the rev counter, with its context-sensitive green lights, and the speedo; the tachograph being an interim DIN-sized device in the screen header. The panel also houses the fuel, coolant temperature and air pressure gauges and minor digital displays of time and outside temperature, with a bar gauge for turbo boost and an odometer with dual trip readings. In the centre of it all is the “Baseline” display, which shows current and available gear information as well as a variety of diagnostic functions.
No less than 20 switch positions are available on the dash, but ours just controlled night lights, ASR traction control and the work light. A switch panel for the bunk area lives on the park brake quadrant, operating electric windows, interior lights and the Eberspächer cab heater panel. Unfortunately access to the panel is somewhat shielded by the brake lever when it is applied.
In the centre of the dash are four rotary heater knobs and a recirculation button (air conditioning is an option). The manual roof vent can be locked in the fully or slightly open positions. The two-door mounted fresh air vents are well placed, but the two in the centre of the dash are a bit remote from the driver.
Bearing in mind that the L cab is unlikely to do much long-distance work, the in-cab storage is quite adequate. There are assorted bins, cup holders and ashtrays, a three-section shelf above the screen, a recess on the dash top in front of the passenger and decent-sized door pockets. Beneath the centre of the bunk is a slide-out cool-box-cum-table, with room for an overnight bag behind it. The extremities of the under bunk space are occupied by external side lockers, the left one also having internal access.
The bunk has a folding safety rail (useful given its likely main use as a parcel shelf) and is equipped with a full set of cab and bunk curtains, reading lights, an alarm clock socket and enough coat hangers for the smartest uniformed driver. He’ll have to reach out of bed to switch off the Clarion RDS radio-cassette, however. There’s just enough headroom to sit on the bunk but standing upright will be out of the question for 99.9% of truck drivers. The solution to that is to buy the high-roof LX sleeper version.
