USING its World Sales Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, as a venue, Mack Trucks Inc unveiled a new range of vehicles designed to meet the demands of both highway and construction customers. However, the biggest news at the October 23-25 conference was the introduction of the company's first completely new engine family in 40 years.
Key elements of the new Mack product offering for 2006 include a new flagship for its highway lineup — a premium tractor called Pinnacle — as well as new models of the company's highly successful Granite and Granite Axle Back construction vehicles. Each new model offers state-of-the-art advancements in engine technology, driver environment, and electronics.
The new Pinnacle highway truck is being offered in a 116-inch bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) daycab configuration, as well as 48-inch and 56-inch flat-top, 60-inch and 70-inch mid-rise, and 70-inch high-rise sleepers — all built on Mack's Advantage highway chassis. Both the Granite and Granite axle-back models feature a 116-inch BBC dimension and are built on the Mack Cornerstone vocational chassis. Both of the new product lines have been designed around the new MackPower (MP) engine line.
Featured in the initial offerings of both the Pinnacle and new Granite models is Mack's new MP7 engine — the first in a new family of Mack engines. The MP7 is an 11-liter engine available in the three Mack engine families — Econodyne, Maxidyne and MaxiCruise — in six horsepower ratings between 325 and 405 hp, with torque ranging from 1260 to 1560 ft/lb. In 2006, the MP7 will be offered in the company's new Pinnacle and Granite models in an EPA'04-compliant configuration. Additionally, the base design has the key elements to bring it into compliance with the 2007 standards. Key components of the MP7 include:
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High-performance (cooled) exhaust gas recirculation system (HEGR).
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Variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) with sliding nozzle ring.
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Electronically controlled unit injectors.
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Single overhead cam with four valves per cylinder.
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Wet sleeve cylinders with single piece steel pistons.
Customers in both highway and vocational applications can expect a significant improvement in fuel economy in the MP7 compared to current engines. Oil drain intervals are currently estimated at 30,000 miles for standard highway applications, and 300 hours (or 15,000 miles) for most construction applications.
From a service perspective, the MP7 is installed low in the chassis for quick, easy access and maintenance. Its overhead cam and valve train system have fewer components with fewer wear points, requiring less adjustment.
In addition to the MP7, the company also announced plans to have the second member of its new engine family — the MP8 — available in 2007. It will be followed by the MP10, probably in 2008.
Designed for customers requiring higher horsepower, the MP8 is a 13-liter engine with ratings from 415 to 485 hp matched to torque levels from 1540 to 1700 lb/ft. As with the MP7, the MP8 will be offered in the Mack-distinct Maxidyne, Econodyne, and MaxiCruise performance families. Details on the MP10 are not yet available.
Mack plans to continue offering its 2004-certified ASET engines in current Vision highway and Granite vocational models in 2006 as well.
The nerve center in every new Mack Pinnacle and Granite model is the next generation of Mack's Vehicle Management and Control System, V-MAC IV. The computer controls provide the customer-requested programmable features of previous versions and much more, including idle shutdown, enhanced theft deterrence, tamper detection, and daytime running light override.
Customers who opt for the Co-Pilot version of the LCD display in the new vehicles' gauge cluster can access and program V-MAC IV information using a stalk-mounted control. This display also offers day and night light settings, making it easy to read regardless of ambient lighting conditions.