Freightliner LLC is introducing the Class 6-7 Unimog U500 for specialized vocational applications in the United States and Canada. The multi-use vocational truck will be marketed for use in firefighting, utility service, municipal and highway services, construction, and railyard work.
The vehicle will be sold under the separate Unimog nameplate in North America. Sales and service will be offered through selected Freightliner Trucks, Sterling, Western Star, and American LaFrance dealers in the United States and Canada.
Freightliner said the Unimog's factory-installed hydraulic system and controls provide seamless implement changeovers. Equipment commonly used with the vehicle includes aerial man lifts, tree trimmers, augers, cranes, snowplows, salt spreaders, street sweepers, and specialized brush cutting and firefighting equipment.
The Unimog will be built at the Mercedes-Benz truck plant in Wörth, Germany to meet North American regulations and imported to the United States. It will come in two GVWs — 26,000 and 33,000 pounds — and will be powered by the Mercedes-Benz MBE900 electronic six-cylinder diesel engine, provided in 230- and 280-horsepower ratings.
A Mercedes-Benz eight-speed transmission comes standard with the electropneumatic Telligent gearshift system. For heavier applications, an optional 16-speed deep reduction transmission is available.
A 132" wheelbase is standard; a 154" wheelbase is optional. The corrosion-free cab is made of lightweight carbon fiber composite.