On The Road
A dozen forward gears should ensure the right one for each occasion, but the Atego’s performance against the proving ground clock again shows that a few more horses would turn a good truck into a great one. Fortunately, what the Atego lacks in outright punch it more than compensates for with its flexibility. In fact, if Mercedes spent a few quid to provide a bit more power, then it could recoup its investment by speccing a few fewer gears.
The change on the six-speed splitter box is fine, although changing down to second requires a little extra concentration, due to its proximity to reverse and the relatively weak reverse detent.
Once the Atego is up to speed momentum can be easily maintained thanks to its exemplary handling. The inevitable price for that crisp steering is a firm ride but it never became uncomfortable, even on the most kidney-threatening stretch of our test route from Brackley to Buckingham.
A sudden monsoon at the proving ground meant that measured brake testing would have been irrelevant, but out on the road the full set of ABS-equipped discs fulfilled their promise. The single-stage engine brake needs the revs to be well into the yellow zone to give any appreciable retardation, but the trivial effort involved in changing down a gear will pay off handsomely.
Sharing the engine brake lever, the standard cruise control incorporates a driver-programmable road speed limiter but, rather irritatingly, lacks a “resume” function. The control lever for the PTO is sensibly mounted out of the way just behind the driver’s right hip, with a large warning light on the centre of the dash.
Cab Comfort
The standard cab on the Atego 2628B is the SE extended day cab. As the name implies this is not a home from home, but the amount of extra storage space and the generally spacious feeling is a good compromise. This ariness is helped by the standard cab rear windows; access to the extended cab is through the Atego’s excellent wide opening.
The construction versions of the 2628 come with two seats as standard, with the central area occupied by a handy multi-compartment storage tray; the extra cab length is used to provide some deep storage bins across the rear of the cab. All of the other usual Atego storage features are provided, including a fold-out table, removable dash litter bin and header rail storage pockets.
The air suspended driving seat offers four-way adjustment, although adjustable lumbar support is not included. The passenger gets the same seat but without the air. The build quality of the Atego has come on considerably since its launch, but this example suffered from an annoying (and no doubt easily cured) creak from the cab’s nether regions every time we encountered a bumpy road.
A steel roof hatch gives extra ventilation, and the passenger is not neglected either, with an electric passenger window provided. For no obvious reason, the extended cab is equipped with more than the usual complement of coat hooks. Entertainment is provided by the standard-issue Merc-branded RDS radio-cassette unit.
As you might expect on a fairly basic workhorse, the dash features a relatively minimalist set of controls. The vast bank of available switch positions is only occupied by the switches for the passenger window and an isolator for the ABS system, with the rotary knob to control the cross and inter-axle diff-locks.
The instrument panel contained a comprehensive set of gauges, backed up by the diagnostic display panel, with its default to external air-temperature. The usual reliability of Mercedes’ control gear was rather let down by the fuel gauge, which only functioned when encouraged by barometer-style tapping on its face.
