Mercedes unveils 'localised' trucks for EAC market

By Wainaina Wambu 

Motor dealer DT Dobie says it has “tropicalised” a new model of trucks introduced to the East African market to cope with the diesel sold in the region.

Deputy Service Manager Andrew Munyua explained that new MP5 Mercedes Benz Actros 3342 had also been tailor-made for the local road and climate conditions compared to other trucks imported from Europe.

He said the used Euro 5 or 6 trucks have engines built for the stricter fuel emissions in developed countries and must be downgraded so as to perform using local diesel.

“The Local MP5's engine is modified for East African fuels and does not require the Adblue catalyst that helps break diesel exhaust gas into finer particles,” said Munyua.

He said repair costs are also lower, and there is less exposure to additional damage to the rest of the engine in the course of servicing owing to the design of the engine.

“This new Actros has a straight line six-cylinder engine, and each cylinder has its own head, which is a major improvement from the single head of the Ex-UK trucks being imported into the country. This allows for the repair of a single worn head reducing downtime,” he said.

The Actros MP5 truck is equipped with two fuel tanks with an 860-litre capacity, meaning buyers do not have to add a second fuel tank for long-distance running as is the case with earlier models.

The ground clearance for the Actros MP5 has been raised to accommodate the poor road conditions in many parts of East Africa.

The truck also has a power shift system with both an automatic and manual mode that Kinyua said makes for better fuel consumption with a saving of up to four per cent.