Iveco scoops Minibus of the Year award, MAN Steyr hits 200 000 and Fuso goes global to top Japan

Following the Magelys winning the International coach of the Year 2016 award, Iveco’s Daily Tourys has been crowned International Minibus of the Year 2017, by the Bus, Coach and Minibus of the Year international jury of major journalists representing 18 leading European road-transport magazines.

This is the 15th award bestowed on the Iveco Daily range of vehicles since 2015. Following the three-day evaluation, the jury judged the Daily Tourys to have performed very well against its six competitors. In this inaugural competition, the vehicles were evaluated in real road conditions with uphill and downhill sections, motorways, narrow roads and a variety of situations.

“The Iveco Daily Tourys combined high-quality bodywork, together with premium comfort for the passenger. The driveline, with a strong Euro-6 diesel engine and the best gearbox ever made in this class, makes the trip an experience to remember,” says Tom Terjesen, president of the Bus and Coach of the Year jury.

“The large luggage capacity is aided by the great idea of a flap inside the luggage compartment to give even more space if needed.”

“The fact that this is a complete factory-built minibus means that maintenance and service will be more efficient anywhere in Europe,” he adds.  

MAN Steyr hits 200 000

MAN recently celebrated a proud anniversary at its site in Steyr, Austria: since the first TGL/TGM-series pre-production vehicles rolled off the line in late 2004, 200 000 vehicles have been produced and series production got fully underway for all series models in 2006.

“We are particularly proud that our customers have placed their trust in the superior quality of our products, and especially the TGL/TGM series, for over a decade. For us, this enormous number is both proof of, and, above all, the motivation for our work,” explains Thomas Müller, production manager at MAN Truck & Bus Austria, Steyr plant.

The customer and future operator of this anniversary vehicle is the Austrian brewery company, Stiegl, which has enjoyed a longstanding partnership with MAN. Thomas Gerbl, managing director of Stiegl, stressed that the superior quality and reliability of MAN’s products is a key element of the partnership.

Stiegl is also a partner of the Council for Sustainable Logistics (CNL), which in autumn will receive nine TGM trucks with electric drive for field trials.

Since mid-2015, the Steyr plant has been expanded to incorporate new competencies in the fields of special vehicle construction, plastic-part paintwork and electromobility.

Are you ready for the 850 kW, 5 000 Nm hybrid?

Finnish companies Visedo and Sisu Auto have teamed up to develop a hybrid electric parallel-power system for the heavy-truck market, which is capable of delivering 850 kW (1 140 hp) and more than 5 000 Nm torque.

Visedo, Finnish manufacturer of heavy-duty hybrid and electric power systems, developed the electric-power system for a proof-of-concept vehicle that integrates the parallel hybrid drive (meaning the electric motor is sandwiched between the engine and gearbox) that sends power from both an electric motor and a diesel engine to the same axle.

This means there is no need to alter the vehicle’s existing chassis or suspension structure. The system was developed to work with the Mercedes-Benz OM471 and OM473 diesel engines, which are used in the Sisu Polar truck range.

“We’re proud to be giving Europe its first look at such a breakthrough hybrid-truck drive system that’s capable of delivering breakthrough power and performance, while saving fuel and reducing emissions,” says Visedo system solutions manager Risto Tiainen.

“The revolution to electrify the world’s diesel-powered transport is already underway. After delivering pioneering hybrid and electric power for passenger buses, Visedo is proud to be powering the next generation of cleaner-truck transport solutions.”

The system enables the use of the vehicle with or without electric power, while Visedo’s component flexibility enables customer and system-specific integration and customisation.

The driver’s input is minimal, with the system supplying additional power and charging automatically. The driver can, however, keep track of the system’s data and, if required, bypass the automated system to take control.

Fuso goes global to top Japan

The latest-generation Fuso flagship, the above 15-t Super Great, has been launched to the Japanese market – and the company is not hiding its ambition for greatness.

“With this new vehicle we position ourselves at the top of our market in Japan. The new Fuso Super Great is a completely new development and uses state-of-the-art technologies from our global Daimler Trucks platforms. We will offer our customers the most efficient, safest and best-connected truck they can get in the Japanese market,” says Marc Llistosella, president and CEO of Fuso and head of Daimler Trucks Asia.

The Fuso Super Great uses Daimler Trucks’ global platform strategy, with engines, transmissions and axles supplied from the German Mercedes-Benz plants in Mannheim, Gaggenau and Kassel, as well as the plant of the United States (US)-powertrain subsidiary Detroit in Redford, Michigan.

A number of new technologies result in fuel consumption being reduced by up to 15 percent compared to the previous model. The 10,7-litre engine fully complies with the Japanese emission standards JP17 and has been optimised with regard to consumption, emission efficiency and payload, compared to its preceding powertrain.

The 12-speed ShiftPilot automated manual transmission (AMT) is produced at the Gaggenau plant, and differentials are produced in the Mercedes-Benz plant in Kassel, as well as the Detroit facility. Axles, however, are locally manufactured and installed at the Japanese plant in Kawasaki.

The new Super Great features state-of-the-art safety and assistance systems for the first time in the Japanese market. These include: Active Brake Assist 4 emergency braking system, Active Attention Assist fatigue alert system and the turning assistant Active Sideguard Assist.

Truckonnect telematics is available as standard in all models and enables the customer to make real-time requests for all crucial truck data. This can be accessed from the cab by a digital dashboard and the Truck Centre Control touch screen.