On The Road
Unfortunately the Telligent gearshift tends to dominate the first impressions of the Actros. The “paddle-and-flipper” control takes some getting used to, and we just could not resist looking at the gear indicator before and after every shift, until the third day of the test and the tough A68 section of the route, that is.
Here you simply cannot afford to take your eyes off the road, so you have to trust the system to engage the right gear – and it does, pretty much every time. Coming into a roundabout, for instance, you just slow down to the speed you want to keep round the bend, then pull the lever back. Dip the clutch (this is a three-pedal system, unlike some) and drive on – the system will have almost certainly picked the correct gear. Gain a little speed, give it a push forward, flip the paddle down and you’re ready to change up a gear and a half.
The shift inspires confidence, but it is not lightning-quick, so some anticipation is needed on the steepest hills, and the Actros’ standing-start acceleration times were a few seconds worse than the less powerful ERF tested a couple of weeks ago. However, look at the hill-climb times and the situation is reversed, indicating that in the real world the Actros has performance to spare.
Once you’ve got past the gear system you can appreciate the engine, and this unit-injected Euro-3 is remarkably flexible. It is happy to rev to the 2,500rpm red line, and also to lug down to the bottom of the green band at 800rpm in a way that suggests the Merc has more than six cylinders. In fact, Mercedes is confidence enough to state that the engine pulls from 700rpm in the truck’s Driver’s Guide. The 90 degree V formation gives the engine quite a different character from the normal run of in-line sixes, and it should appeal to the individualist owner-drivers. The torque curve is not quite as ruler-flat as some rivals, dropping off a little above the peak at 1,080rpm, but this is good as it gives the impression there is something in reserve (more than 1,600Nm of torque is available all the way to the 1,800rpm peak).
The Actros has a uniquely sophisticated rev counter with a moving green band. While the MAN TG-A has a similar system, the Merc’s is rather more effective. If it reckons that you re in the wrong gear, it flashes green LED lights in the appropriate section of the rev-counter, covering a span of 2-300rpm or so; this is meant to encourage you to change to the appropriate gear. And it works, although it can be a bit irritating when you see a change in gradient coming up and you want to stay in gear. Mercedes’ cruise control also works well, remaining engaged even when you change gear and if you give it a bit of extra throttle on the approach to a hill.
If the engine is impressive, the Telligent brakes are something else – there is simply no delay in their operation, and until you get used to them the initial action feels like an on-off switch. The immediacy is startling, and careless driver could find himself in close contact with the windscreen (like our tester almost did during the track tests). Though we didn’t want to risk shifting a load on the track, the brakes worked exceptionally well on the road, being powerful and free from fade.
The constant-throttle exhaust brake works well as long as you keep it above about 1,900rpm, which is no hardship with the smooth engine. Incidentally, Mercedes makes both hydraulic and Telma electric retarders available on 4x2 models, but no retarder option is offered for the 6x2.
In all other respects the big Merc handles well, steering precisely without the benefit of a second steer axle. Ride quality was excellent over the toughest bits of the A68, with minimal roll and very well-controlled pitch (fore-and-aft movement), which is often a weak point of large cabs such as this.
Cab Comfort
Mercedes has certainly listened to its customers in one important respect: the Actros’s upholster no longer looks like an accident at a day-glo paint factory. Apart from this welcome relief, the cab is much the same as before. The Long Distance model lacks the completely flat floor of the Megaspace, but this isn’t a problem, as the engine cover is still nice and low, and neither of the footwells feels cramped. The seats are a couple of Mr. Isringhausen’s finest, with electric everything – even fore-and-aft adjustment. In this case, the passenger also benefits from the optional air-suspension seat.
In general, cab stowage is very good, although a drinks-bottle holder in each door would be useful. Of course, the heavy smoker is well catered for, with a couple of pop-out ashtrays on either side of the pop-out radio/cassette – just be careful where you stub out your cigarette!# A rather clever touch is the power socket that’s built into a moulding above each side window. One of these has a flexible-necked reading light plugged into it, so you can swap it from one side to the other. There are good, deeply-lipped shelves above the windscreen, plus a half-width locker, and there’s another dedicated 12V socket on the passenger’s side of the dashboard. The mouldings are all good quality, although they still lack that extra hint of solidity you’ll find in a Scania cab.
The (optional) upper bunk has an intricate but robust-looking gas strut mechanism for easy stowage once folded, and the cab feels light and airy. Both bunks pull out for extra width, but many drivers will favour the upper one as the lower one is made up of three cushions, although they are pretty supportive. Merc has fitted its usual plethora of straps and meshes to catch a careless sleeper, but you the elastic cord for hanging your towel from the upper bunk is a nice touch.
Mercedes has opted for sunblinds across the windscreen, which are easy to pull down and retract. The side blind flips down and slides forward and back. The curtains are comprehensive but rather thin – no ERF-style cinema curtains here.
The DIN-style tachograph, made by TVI, is mounted above the windscreen and performs a little diagnostic “light show” and a little grinding of gears before it releases your disc – then the front drops down with a sickening lurch.
