NEW ACTROS
Truck & Driver Summer 2019^27
What, no mirrors? Other technical changes are less obvious in the new ActrosA
recent Mercedes-
Benz Ride and Drive
event in Spain gave
European journalists
and other interested
parties the chance to get behind
the wheel of the new Actros
tractor unit range. The most
notable feature of the new
models is the MirrorCam system,
mirrors being replaced by
cameras mounted high up on the
cab roof above either door. The
images captured are relayed to
in-cab 15-inch screens mounted
on the front door pillars.
There’s a host of other
changes too, both inside the cab
and to the chassis and drivetrain.
All of this radical technology has
the potential to radically change
the working lives of many drivers
and could well be the direction in
which many other manufacturers
will follow in the future.Touchscreen tech
Other features include keyless
ignition and cab entry, an
electronic parking brake that is
linked to the hill-hold function,
and a new vehicle dash and
switchgear system based on
touchscreen technology. The
aerodynamics are improved –
largely due to the lack of mirrors- and there’s a new high-ratio
drive-axle. A revised Active
Brake Assist 5 set-up is said to
recognise pedestrians and to
activate automatic emergency
braking, while a Sideguard Assist
system monitors the blindspot
area alongside the vehicle and is
now linked to the camera system.
Two features that many
drivers may take some time to
adjust to are the revised
Predictive Powertrain Control
(PPC) and Active Drive Assist
(ADA). PPC takes vehicle cruise
control systems to a new level,
with a new cross-country mode
taking care of vehicle throttle
control, gearchanging and
braking on twisting country
roads. Once the driver has set
the target speed and activated
the system, it deals with bends
and gradients using GPS
mapping to read the road ahead.
ADA, meanwhile, brings
partly automated driving to
trucks. The system follows lane
markings, actively steering the
truck to keep it in the centre of
the lane and to prevent it
wandering off course. The driver
has to keep his or her
hands on the wheel but
the truck is, in effect,