Truck-makers gear up for CV Show launches
Preparations are now well underway for the 2020 Commercial Vehicle Show, which returns to the NEC Birmingham from 28-30 April.
More than 400 exhibitors will be showcasing their products and services this year. The Workshop zone is back, featuring hundreds of exhibitors focused on vehicle maintenance and aftermarket services, while the Cool zone will home in on the needs of the temperature-controlled sector, with a variety of refrigerated transport and cold chain equipment.
New for 2020 is a series of live theatre discussions, where key industry concerns will be discussed by sector leaders and commentators over the three days of the event.
The show will feature UK premieres from several of the van and truck manufacturers, including MAN, which will be showcasing its refreshed truck range for the first time in the public arena.
The Traton subsidiary is claiming fuel saving of up to eight per cent over previous models, thanks to improved aerodynamics and a more powerful suite of driver aids. In total, the revisions amount to the biggest change to MAN’s line-up since the introduction of the TGA some 20 years ago.
Styling-wise, cabs are still recognisably MAN TG, but the extravagant glass areas on the previous generation’s high-roof cabs have been reduced. MAN has not followed Mercedes’ lead in ditching conventional mirrors for cameras, but the new mirrors have slimmer bodies which, besides creating less drag, will also throw smaller blind-spots than their massive predecessors.
Engines have all been upgraded to meet Euro 6-D (Transport Operator 83), and the maximum-weight trucks also benefit from a revised drive-axle with a higher ratio.
But the biggest changes are to the vehicles’ electronic architecture, which MAN said has been streamlined and centralised around a single main computer. Driver aids include a turn assistance system (a first for production trucks, claims MAN), and lane-change assistance plus a GPS-based topographical cruise control.
Cab interiors are all-new, with screens featuring ‘virtual instruments’ replacing conventional clocks, and an ‘infotainment’ screen controlled with a rotary switch. Other controls including the parking-brake have been relocated to free up interior space.
Systems such as hazard-warning and coupling lamps can be controlled via door-mounted switches, meaning the driver does not have to climb in and out of the cab to operate them.
The cab line-up remains unchanged: TGX, TGS, TGM and TGL in descending order of size.
Meanwhile, Iveco will use the CV Show to launch of its much-anticipated new S-Way heavy-duty long-haul truck, the first vehicle in the new Iveco Way heavy range, developed to deliver a complete package of features and services focused on the driver, on sustainability and on an advanced level of connectivity-enabling new customised services.
Being exhibited for the first time will be two 6×2 S-Ways, both vehicles featuring the AS sleeper cab. One, finished in blue will feature a Cursor 13, 12.9-litre natural power engine which delivers 460 hp and 2,000 Nm of torque. A 575 hp diesel version, finished in red, will also appear.
Sascha Kaehne, Iveco’s UK business director said: “The Commercial Vehicle Show provides us with the most perfect venue from which to launch our new 100 per cent fully-connected new Iveco S-Way. This new truck has been re-designed from the ground up, with both drivers and customers at its core, offering sustainability, cost savings, productivity gains and safety and we are eagerly looking forward to presenting it to the UK haulage industry.”
Transport Operator readers will find our customary CV Show Preview in the April print edition, showcasing dozens of the industry suppliers who will be exhibiting at the event. Meanwhile, those planning to attend can register for their free tickets now at the CV Show website.
