Pictured: The Mercedes-Benz Atego

Reliability, safety and environmental awareness, with excellent driving comfort, are but a few of the qualities that set the Mercedes-Benz Atego apart.

The fuel-efficient and reliable Euro 3 compliant engines in the Atego range are particularly designed for economical operation. Whatever is to be transported, each detail of the Atego is designed to cope with the demands of light-duty short-radius distribution. The Mercedes-Benz Atego is also finding huge favour in niche conversions like fire engine and emergency support, as well as specialised equipment vehicles such as the waste collection vehicles favoured in most waste management applications . As the Atego frame was specially designed with the demands of short-radius operation in mind, a special feature insuring this is its two-piece design. The front section comprises two downward-sloping longitudinal members with Z-profile, which enables the front part to be lowered, resulting in a lower entry level for driver and passenger convenience. The vehicle offers two cabs for a wide range of applications. The short cab is ideal for short-radius operations and the long cab with crew seat/bunk combination is best for short- to medium-radius operation. Christo Kleynhans, Mercedes-Benz Trucks product manager, says: “Featuring reliable, high-torque 4- and 6-cylinder engines as well as gearshift systems, transmissions and axles aligned with each application, the Mercedes-Benz Atego delivers supreme performance. Three high-performance, weight-optimised and perfectly configured 6-speed transmission systems (optionally available with the Telligent automated gearshift) enable engine power to be transferred to the road with minimal loss due to friction, adds Kleynhans. The low-noise, low-maintenance drive axles have a positive effect on fuel consumption. Boasting a large number of different ratios, they deliver optimum drive configurations to handle virtually all applications. The Atego chassis offers optimum protection against rust as a result of the cathodic dip priming. Due to the 50 mm hole pattern, no further drilling is necessary when mounting any attachments and other units, such as tanks, exhaust systems and batteries. Bodies can therefore be pre-assembled and mounted, efficiently reducing processing time at the bodybuilder. Kleynhans adds: “The Atego is arguably the benchmark in its market segment and offers unsurpassable performance, safety and uptime among other things. Total cost of ownership along with the support from Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s value chain offerings makes a strong business case for the Mercedes-Benz Atego.”

Shift in focus
“While we believe that there will be a shift in the mode of transport as government implements the aggressive and ambitious expansion of the rail network, we also believe that the demand for more integrated transport solutions will remain and increase,” concludes Kleynhans.