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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
JULY 2015
33
TRANSPORT
F
or the eleventh time in a row the Mer-
cedes-Benz Unimog has been named
best Cross-country Vehicle of the Year
in the ‘special-purpose vehicles’ catego-
ry by readers of the specialist journal ‘Off
Road’. This year, the ‘Cross-country Vehi-
cle of the Year’ poll had a total of twelve
categories. More than 36 000 votes were
cast, and 123 vehicles were in the running.
The Unimog took first place amongst the
special-purpose vehicles with a superb
51.4 percent of the readers’ votes.
Whether it’s in the bone-dry Gobi desert,
in the tundra and taiga of Siberia or on the
hot volcano crater road on Vesuvius, there
is barely a challenge in the world which the
Mercedes-Benz Unimog would not be capa-
ble of taking on.
The genes for such extreme applications are
in its blood. Thanks to the new mid-engine
location in the all-terrain Euro VI Unimog, the
frame drop is now further back; overall this
means that a lower vehicle centre of gravity
with simultaneously high ground clearance
has been achieved, which further optimises
handling in off-road applications. Degrees of
articulation of up to 30 degrees are possible
due to the use of torque tube technology in
conjunction with the coil springs. Portal axles
and a slope climbing ability of 45 degrees
complete the all-terrain Unimog – model
designation U 4023/U 5023. In addition to
this there is the maximum fording depth of
1.20 m and a side inclination angle of up
to 38 degrees. Driving in extreme situations
with the all-wheel drive system engaged is
supported by the selectable differential locks
and the “Tirecontrol Plus” tyre pressure con-
trol system. This can simply be set with but-
tons on the steering wheel for the respective
application via the “road”, “sand” and “rough
road” programs.
The power comes courtesy of the high-
torque BlueTec 6 common-rail OM 934 LA
engine, a four-cylinder unit with 5.1 l dis-
placement, 170 kW (230 hp) and 900 Nm
torque. Eight forward and six reverse gears
are available, and optionally there is also an
off-road gear group for all-terrain applica-
tions in the speed range between 2.5 and
35 km/h.
Available alongside this all-terrain Unimog
is the implement carrier model series with
the model designations U 216 to U 530;
Unimog is Cross-country
VEHICLE OF THE YEAR 2015
these are frequently used in municipal ap-
plications. They also boast state-of-the-art
Euro VI engines with outputs up to 220 kW
(299 hp).
When it comes to maintenance, diagnosis or
repair, too, everything is taken care of for the
Unimog. In over 650 service outlets in more
than 130 countries knowledgeable Unimog
dealers look after the vehicle, whilst special
service offers and financial services round
off the overall package.
The magazine “Off Road” has been holding
the readers’ poll for Cross-country Vehicle of
the Year since 1982.
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