Content area
Full Text
As we finally begin to get to grips with the new generation of speed-limited 7.5-tonners, we put MAN'S TGL to the test.
A first gUince at the 06 plate and you could be confused into thinking that this is a used truck test. But such are the machinations of press test-fleet management, often obscured behind personal plates, this is still very much a current TGL model, which has just become part of MAN'S UK press fleet after a 30,000km spell as a customer demo vehicle.
"What about the recent TGL facelift?" you ask. Well, for some strange reason, which rather defies the principle of minimising production variants, the revisions behind the new TGS-style smooth grille panel only apply to Euro-5 models. Euro-4s will continue at the current spec for the foreseeable future.
In an arena frequently used to either pamper journalists, or showcase the latest technical developments, depending on your level of cynicism, this TGL stands out as a beacon of Teutonic restraint. The cab is the basic fleet day item, with the spec of a B&Q wheelbarrow to which has been added a total options spend of £455. The 7.5-tonne TGL comes with a choice of Euro-4 engines, nominally rated at 150 and 180hp, and in keeping with its austerity, ours came equipped with the lower spec. Standard transmission is ZF's automated six-speeder, although not in its latest form. The body is a plain vanilla GRP box from JCP with Hatcher aerodynamic aids.
On the road
Surprisingly, the first thing to make an impression as we moved away was the steering, which felt more than averagely responsive and continued to impress around the 370km mixed Welsh route. Considering the simple suspension spec - a quartet of mono-leaf parabolic springs - the ride is surprisingly good on most surfaces, but the very worst road defects do generate an unseemly reaction between road and driver.
Although the four-pot engine delivers a modest 570Nm peak torque at l,400rpm, there's at least 500Nm on tap throughout the entire usable rev range.
This, together with a noticeable lack of turbo lag, results in a surprisingly responsive engine, even if the TGL's standing start to 80km/h figures are 6.2 seconds off the pace of its recently tested Daf rival...