Road Tests: MAN TGA

The D20 diesel puts MAN-ERF UK in a bit of a quandary. Not so much for the MAN half of the combined marque – it simply replaces the old 12 litre D28 engine in the TGA – but if the D20’s all it’s cracked up to be, how much longer will there be a Cummins ISMe in the ERF ECT? Tractor buyers can’t have failed to notice that the D20 has a similar capacity to the Cummins lump and offers comparable performance at a relatively modest price. However, this week’s test of the TGA 26.430 isn’t about brand management: it’s about confirming or demolishing, the D20’s rapidly growing reputation.

It certainly looks impressive on paper. Compared with the old D28 it’s 100kg lighter, has 25% fewer parts, is up to 2dB(A) quieter, and promises even longer service intervals. But the real killer is that even with Euro-4 compliant exhaust gas recirculation to complicate things, it’s said to be up to 5% more fuel efficient than its predecessor. With the D20 we’re talking more revolution than evolution. For example, there’s no direct exchange of oil or coolant between the crankcase and the cylinder head. Instead they each have separate ‘diagonally balanced’ parallel systems for eliminating any possibility of gasket leaks. Then there’s the latest common-rail fuel system with Bosch EDC7 engine control that operates at up to 1,600bar, enabling the D20 to deliver the kind of torque back-up and staying power normally found on much bigger diesels. And all right-hand-drive D20-powered TGAs come with MAN’s own version of the ZF AS-Tronic two-pedal auto – AKA Tipmatic – as standard. It all sounds pretty formidable, but reputations are made or broken on the road…

Move over Cummins. If every D20 TGA performs like ours (a reassuringly ‘normal’ example fleet demonstrator complete with indelible fingerprints around the lockers) we expect to see some very happy operators, because this is the first 44-tonner to break the magic 8mph barrier overall around our two-day artic test route. Only Daf’s 480hp CF85FTP (CM 5 August) and the Stralis AT430 come within striking distance. Check out their operational trial figures and its not hard to see where the TGA shines against its 430hp rivals. After a poor first day with strong headwinds and lashing rain we began to have our doubts. But thanks to a terrific tailwind and dry roads on day two it all came together beautifully. In terms of average speeds and hill climb times the TGA’s well up the leader board, and accelerating up to 80km/h it fairly leapt off the starting blocks (but maybe it’s best not to mention that bit do your drivers). On payload the story’s much the same. The TGA’s not the lightest 6x2 of our comparison group; that accolade goes to the CD Daf. But swap the sliding fifth wheel for a fixed coupling and you’d be hard pressed to put a cigarette paper between the two.