MAN, a European truck brand which has consistently under-performed in the Australian market, looks set to release a truck to change their fortunes. The new MAN TGX D38 MAN will come onto the market fitted with the newly developed D3876 six-cylinder 15.2 litre engine.
Details have been released in the lead up to the new model’s unveiling at the IAA Truck Show in Hannover later this year. In Europe, the engine will be available as a 520, 560 and 640 hp and fitted in the MAN TGX model range.
Offering these sorts of power options in Australia would enable the German manufacturer to play in the main game, when it comes to heavy duty prime movers. Up until now the engine offering from MAN has been limited to the 13 litre D 26 engine, unable to fulfil the option of a potential B-double prime mover with over 550 hp on tap.
Add to this, the reinvigoration of the organisation importing MAN, Western Star and Dennis Eagle, since its takeover by the dynamic Penske Commercial Vehicles late last year, and the possibilities for another European brand to try to break the stranglehold of North American brands in this market segment comes into play.
On the new D 38 engine two-stage turbocharging is said to make full torque available at 930 rpm. The maximum torque of 2,500 Nm at 520 hp, 2,700 Nm at 560 hp and 3,000 Nm at the top end with the 640 hp version of the engine, and MAN finally have a serious player for Australia.
Australia is unlikely to see any sign of the new model this year but we can speculate there will be an example on show at the Brisbane Truck Show next year with the new TGX D38 appearing on our roads sometime in the second half of 2015. Models will almost certainly be Euro 6 compliant only but by this point we can expect other European brands to be going down this track at the same time.
This new model is the kind of truck the MAN brand in Australia has been crying out for over some time. This truck will finally offer the chance for the German brand to mix it with the likes of Volvo, Scania and Mercedes Benz for market share in the strongly performing heavy duty prime mover segment.