On The Road
Someone ought to tell the D20 it’s not a 12-litre lump because it keeps behaving like one. It’s becoming something of a cliché among truck manufacturers to say “our engine will lug down to 1,000rpm”. That’s generally the preserve of the big bangers. But on the many occasions when the D20 was pulling hard from as low down as 950rpm and holding a decent road speed we began to wonder if it really could muster only 10.5 litres. When tackling hill climbs the D20’s powers of recovery and torque backup were truly astonishing – throughout our two-day test it had more comebacks than Frank Sinatra.
What’s also impressive is how quiet it is when it’s working hard. There’s no Cummins-style diesel bark; more of a distinctive whine from the engine geartrain as it gets down to business.
Having 2,100Nm to play with between 1,000-1,400rpm means you make fewer gear changes, thereby saving more fuel. As long as you’re prepared to switch the auto box to manual and hold a tighter gear the D20 just keeps pulling, and pulling, and pulling. On the run back up the M6 it held top gear all the way from Cannock to Gretna, including the climb over Shap.
Having 12 rather than 16 cogs also helped – the D20’s torque spread is such that you don’t need any more gears; the extra changes would be a waste of time, and diesel. Whether you’re talking driveability or fuel economy the direct-top Tipmatic and 3.08:1 back axle complement the D20 perfectly.
Talking of the ZF auto box, we used its manual mode more than we did, say, with the Daf CF85. However, we doubt if the two modes make much difference in either performance or economy; you’d have to be some kind of diesel sipping Harry Hairshirt to want to drive it in manual all day. Over the tough hills on the A68 we let it get on with things in auto and it handled the job with gusto – even taking a giant three-cog jump on the nasty Castleside hill where the wet worn surface had the ASR kicking in too, yet throughout our ascent it always felt in complete control.
For low speed manoeuvring and reversing you can select a ‘tortoise’ mode which reduces the throttle output and engages the clutch more slowly. Drivers will appreciate the extra control in tight corners as in normal D3 drive (the 3 refers to the starting gear) the TGA is pretty quick off the mark and, on full lock with a loaded trailer behind you, it can get a touch jump as you pull away.
Out on the road the 6x2 MAN showed impeccable road manners bar the odd touch of predictable understeer on greasy roundabouts. The TGA’s four-point air-sprung cab also smoothed out the bumps better than the Daf, which in itself is a major compliment.
In our recent group test of secondary braking systems MAN’s exhaust valve brake or EVB (which works like a Jake Brake) scored highly (CM 21 October). Even below 2,000rpm the relatively small D20 holds back 44 tonnes surprisingly well. You can also set up the Tipmatic box so that whenever you select EVB from the column stalk it automatically downshifts to give optimum back pressure.
The MAN’s control layout earns a solid 8 out of 10, although the first right-hand control column stalk is rather overworked. It handles cruise control (complete with off/resume) as well as the Tipmatic auto/manual control and manual selection (to go up a gear you pull the stalk towards you; to go down push it away). However, by moving the gear selector away from the engine hump (unlike the Daf or Iveco) the TGA’s cab floor remains clear and uncluttered.
Things aren’t helped by the fact that the control stalk, like the main light switch, is obscured by the steering wheel, so you have to get used to feeling your way around. Not a problem for a regular driver, but it takes a while for the uninitiated.
These are minor niggles; the only thing we found really irritating in the TGA was a ghost in the machine that kept flashing up a dashboard warning when the EVB wasn’t working when it clearly was. Yet even this doesn’t put us off MAN’s auto light check function which shows up any duff bulbs so you no longer need a convenient wall in the dark or a mate to check your brake lights.
And on the subject of constructive criticism, it’s a pity that the speedo is km/h first then mph; and that step up to the catwalk is on the offside. This is a right-hooker, after all.
Cab Comfort
By resisting the trend towards coring cockpit layouts MAN has given the TGA cab a far more airy feel than most and it further improves cross-cab access.
It’s Panzergrau’ overall colour scheme won’t show the dirt although it’s a shade too Teutonic for our taste; the only relief is in the seat fabric. Funnily enough the same cab on the ERF ECT gets a bit more colour. Hmmmm…
What you do get with the TGA is build quality with a capital Q, from the stout hinges on the overhead lockers, by way of the extra tough dash, right down to the heavy duty floor covering – all of which pass the CM ‘prod it, poke it and thump it’ test. Then there’s the German’s attention to detail, like the two cup holders (complete with spring clasps to hold a can firmly in place); the bottom bunk carrier to stop you rolling out, the heated driver’s seat base, electric tilt-and-slide sunroof; and red interior night running lights. The TGA’s original sun blinds have been modified so they no longer snap back like Arkwrights’s till but roll up smoothly and quietly (but why is a side blind only optional?).
Even the driver’s armrest does what it’s supposed to while the built in window and mirror switches are perfectly placed . There are even neat little trays in the headlining for stowing the top bunk curtains. Let’s face it, those Bavarians are meticulous. However, getting back to minor niggles, the main curtains definitely need stronger hooks as someone had clearly lost his temper on one side and pulled them off the runners. And while the dash layout is generally OK, the buttons for the diagnostics and driver/trip information display are badly placed at the bottom of the main binnacle so you’ve got to stick your had through the wheel to reach them and end up not bothering.
The equivalent electronic information systems from Daf and Iveco are far more intuitive, i.e. more driver friendly.
Storage space is impressive with decent headlining lockers that stop short of the passenger area so you can stand up in the high-roof LX cab without thumping your head. Door pockets and assorted cubby holes in the dash, two lockers under the bunk, and a pull-out cool box, the lid of which doubles as a step to the top bunk if you’re double manned, cater for storage needs.
