The truck was launched this week to the world’s press, in Berlin, and will take centre stage on the Mercedes-Benz stand at the IAA Show, in Hanover later this month (20-27 September).
The most important innovation, says Mercedes, is the vehicle’s Active Drive Assist function, which enables it to brake, accelerate and steer in all speed ranges.
The new Actros also features the fifth generation of the manufacturer’s Active Brake Assist technology, which now uses a combination of radar and camera systems to improve monitoring and reaction times. Active Brake Assist 5 engages if there is a danger of a rear-end collision, or with a person ahead or crossing in front, by applying the brakes – bringing the vehicle to a standstill, if necessary.
The vehicle is also the first series-produced truck with ‘mirror-cam’ instead of exterior mirrors as standard: two cameras on the outside of the cab link to two 15in displays inside.
The mirror-cam, along with other aerodynamic features such as rear edge flaps and a new rear-axle ratio, has helped to reduce fuel consumption on the new Actros, compared with its precedessor – by up to 3% on motorways and up to 5% on rural roads.
An upgraded Predictive Powertrain Control (PPC) for cruise-control and gear shifting now has more map data, enabling it to be used on rural roads.
Other features include a multimedia cockpit, with two interactive screens giving the driver relevant vehicle data as well as information from the assistance systems.
Mercedes-Benz says “connectivity becomes reality” in the new Actros: the ‘truck data centre’ permanently connects the vehicle to the cloud, linking the driver to transport apps and enabling real-time monitoring via Fleetboard and Mercedes-Benz Uptime.
The truck is available to order from the IAA event onwards, with deliveries in the spring.