Freightliner Debuts New Business Class
STEVE STURGESS
SENIOR EDITOR
Freightliner has announced a completely new line of Class 5-8 trucks that will ultimately be the replacement for today's medium-duty Business Class line.
Designated the Business Class M2, the new model will start out as 106-inch BBC models in Class 6 and 7, with limited production starting in June. This will be followed by a short 100-inch BBC and a longer and more heavy duty 112-inch model. During the phase-in over the next year, the existing Business Class will be retained to serve customers for configurations still in the pipeline.
The new Business Class M2 is distinctively styled and quite different from today's model. It has a subtly rounded look due to the all-new, aluminum cab and composite hood. Also distinguishing the new truck is a deep, wide and deeply curved windshield that offers the in-close visibility of a medium-duty cabover and a hood that, on one model, is no higher than a Dodge Ram pickup. The steeply raked beltline to the side windows and carefully positioned mirrors also give what Freightliner claims is best-in-class visibility.
The benchmark for visibility was the Mercedes-Benz Atego, which is a popular medium-duty in Europe. This truck also provided the bogey for turning circles. The result is a conventional that, with the same length of body, will turn in the same radius as the Atego. This gives trucks with an up to 12,000-pound front axle a 55 degree wheelcut, arguably the most generous steering turn-in in the industry.
Standard power in the Business Class is the Mercedes-Benz MBE900. This is a four- or six-cylinder engine with displacements of 4.3 and 6.4 liters and power ratings of 170 and 180 horsepower and 190 to 300 horsepower, respectively. Peak torques range from 520 pounds-feet on the four cylinder to 860 pounds-feet on the six. The engines are unit-pump, with long service intervals and what the company says is exceptional throttle response and quiet operation.
Heavier versions of the Business Class 112 that extend up into Class 8 with tandem axles have the MBE 4000, a 12.8-liter in-line six heavy-duty engine which is widely used in South America and has just been introduced in Europe. It is available from 350 to 435 horsepower with up to 1,550 pounds-feet of torque. Weighing only a few pounds over 2,000, it is likely a strong contender in heavy distribution such as grocery, vocational and fuel oil distribution. Since Mercedes-Benz was not involved in the diesel engine makers' Consent Decree signings, the MBE engines are good through 2004 without modifications.
Caterpillar is the only North American power available as an option, with the 3126 in lighter applications and the upcoming C-9, an 8.8-liter engine due in 2003.
Transmission options cover manual and automatic boxes, including the Mercedes-Benz six-speed synchromesh transmissions. Axles are from North American suppliers, though there will be the option of Mercedes-Benz axles down the road.
The M2 is new from the ground up. When asked what is common with the current Business Class, Vice President of Engineering Michael von Meyenburg joked that only the wheels and tires are the same. The frame is new, featuring an innovative front suspension with a single taper leaf. There is a security wrap that extends from the front hanger to the axle to retain the axle in case of breakage, but it serves no suspension function. At the back of the spring is a rubber mount that deflects with suspension travel. This eliminates the need for a shackle and its associated friction and maintenance. It also improves the ride, said von Meyenburg. At the rear is the option of a 52-inch, two-stage steel spring for body applications that require tight packaging. Optional is a 60-inch spring suspension for optimum ride without going to an air-ride. This comes with a helper rubber block for fully loaded conditions and includes shock absorbers. A stabilizer bar is also available. Freightliner says all its air-rides are available on the M2, including the latest low-profile air suspension.
The aluminum cab is approximately 3 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the current model for greater driver comfort. Yet overall, the M2 is the same as existing models, with the length taken out of the hood. The corrosion-resistant cab is designed to pass all cab-crash requirements and features steel in the engine front bulkhead and in the door hinge and lock area. The floor is profiled with a kick-up at the rear to provide room for frame-mounted exhaust, batteries and windshield wash reservoir, and has a slope out to the doors to make it easy to clean out.
The electric system is fully multiplexed to minimize wiring behind the dash and to provide flexibility for different applications. The room created behind the dash allows for a high performance HVAC, says the company.
The M2 truck will be available starting in the summer. Freightliner expects that it will cost around 3 to 3.5 percent more than a similarly spec'ed Business Class today.
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