Brisbane Truck Show Opens

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Diesel News Australia / May 14, 2015

The Brisbane Truck Show opened yesterday with a number of new trucks unveiled and a plenty to talk about for the crowds who filled the halls at the Brisbane Convention Centre. New models unveiled included the next generation Mercedes Benz Actros, the International ProStar, the Western Star 2800, the MAN TGX with the all new D38 15 litre engine and the new shape DAF LF.

Just about every truck manufacturer’s stand features something new, whether it was Euro 6 compliance, new added features or simply an upgrade of a previous model. However, probably the most important aspect of the show is the chance to catch up with friends, colleagues and competitors throughout the industry, to chew the fat and solve the problems of the trucking industry.

It was an excited Justin Whitford, General Manager Mercedes Benz Truck and Bus, who unveiled the new Actros as the Brisbane Show began. The first batch of Actros models are now in the country and undergoing a rigorous testing program to get them ready fro launch onto the Australian market next year.

The new truck represents a complete change for the entire Mercedes Benz heavy duty offering. The new engines, an 11, 13 and 16 litre, are based on the same basic block as the Detroit DD 13 and 15 we have already seen here. The new state of the art cabin is also completely new, as it now has to accommodate a straight six engine and not the V6 and V8s of the current generation Actros.

Standing proud on a raised stage was the iconic US truck, the International LoneStar. The show truck is a highly customised left hand drive, long wheel base version of the International flagship. Some examples of the LoneStar may end up on our shores, but the real story is about the other two models sitting next to the eye catching LoneStar.

The International ProStar is the bread and butter of the heavy duty International range in the US and this is the model spearheading the return (again) of the International truck brand to Australia. The shape is familiar enough to us, the Cat CT 630 is based on the same cabin, but the driveline comes painted red, not yellow. The Cummins ISX is under the hood.

The Penske stand also had a complete newcomer, a model never exhibited before, anywhere in the world. The Western Star 2800 SS is a rebadging of the truck sold in the USA as the Freightliner M2 Business Class. With a Cummins ISBE6 engine and Allison 3000 transmission, the 4×2 on show is the first example to arrive. It should be followed by some 6×2 models, which look like being the Western Star brand’s first real push into the lighter end of the heavy duty market.

Out in front, on the Penske stand, is another truck new to Australia, the MAN TGX D38. This truck features the D 38, a new 15 litre engine, which will see the German brand offer a 560 hp driveline in the heavy duty prime mover for the first time, putting it in contention in the massive B-double prime mover market.

Standing out on the Paccar stand, which dominates the northern end of the main display area, at the convention centre, is a new model from DAF. The new DAF LF model sees a dramatic change in cabin design when compared to the previous model. The curved contemporary shape of the cab is matched by an all new interior. Power comes from a choice of two power ratings on the Paccar PR engine, at 250 and 286 hp.

http://www.dieselnews.com.au/brisbane-premieres/

Show information: http://www.brisbanetruckshow.com.au/