MAN TGL 12.180 is a standard twelve-ton, isothermal van that is suitable for both short and long hauls. Most likely, the current situation in the Moscow region will force us to look for rolling stock that will meet the requirements of the law, as well as the demands of the modern freight transportation market.
As per tradition, we will start the test drive by looking at the external data of the truck. From the outside, what immediately catches your eye is the radiator grille, which is located quite low and, moreover, is not very well protected. In the conditions of Russian roads, this is not the best solution. The truck's wheels are unusually small - radius 17.5, and dimension - 245/70. The tank holds two hundred liters of fuel.
Outside, the cabin has niches for tools and other things necessary on the road. The truck is equipped with two 140 Ah batteries, which are protected by underrun bars.
The front suspension surprised me with its size. This is a single leaf spring. One can only hope for its strength, especially since in Russia, as is known, the maximum load on a bridge is 4.4 tons. One cannot help but doubt the strength of such a technical solution. But the rear suspension is pneumatic, capable of supporting a weight of 8.4 tons.
Let's take a look inside...
Inside, the MAN TGL's cabin isn't the most luxurious (there's no steering wheel braid or stylish design here). One should not expect anything from the German brand other than brevity, modesty and order. Superficially speaking, this is a good-quality conventional truck cab. Nothing extra!
The plastic panel is made neatly, the control buttons are in place and have a convenient location. In a word, everything inside is adapted for comfortable work of the driver - cup holders, a large number of small compartments, ashtrays. True, despite the apparent size of the cabin, there is no room to talk about the spaciousness inside - two drivers will have to make room.
MAN TGL 12.180 is equipped with a berth, which is located immediately behind the driver. Its length is two meters and its width is seventy-five centimeters. A driver of average height will be able to relax and sleep without any problems. The sleeping place also has a barrier that protects a person from falling.
Cab visibility is good. The glass also covers the sleeping area a little, so that while resting the driver does not have to get up to look outside. By the way, there is one more plus: the control panel for power windows and door locks is located on the console between the seats. The driver's seat is comfortable, fully meeting modern standards.
The only thing that made me really struggle was finding the button to control the steering column. It turned out that it is located under the driver's seat, on the left and hidden by the trim.
Medium-duty truck MAN TGL 12.180
Now let's return to the main topic of our review - the MAN medium-duty truck. Among other cars, the TGL was presented to journalists for a review and test drive along a small section of the Moscow Raceway.
The history of the TGL model dates back to the 70s of the last century. At that time, MAN had a joint development with Volkswagen to produce light commercial trucks with a cabover layout. A cabin from a Volksvagen LT was installed on the frame of the G90 medium-duty truck, and two MAN-VW emblems appeared on the radiator grille. Such trucks, although rare, can still be found on our roads.
Then, in 1994, the car was restyled and received a new, more spacious cabin and was produced under the symbol L2000. The car remained on the assembly line until 2005.
When they hit the market, the first TGL “Trucknology Generation Light” created a real sensation. In 2006, he deservedly received the Truck of the Year award. The car presented in this review is equipped with an engine that meets Euro 5 environmental standards. I will tell you how this is achieved a little later, but now, let’s walk around the car. With a curb weight of 5,730 kg, the MAN TGL 12.180 is the lightest vehicle in the 12-tonne truck class. The car is equipped with small tires for its class, size 245/70 with a radius of 17.5 s, the disc is mounted on six nuts.
Full vehicle index: MAN TGL 12.180 4X2 BB, where the numbers indicate the permissible gross weight: 12 tons, and engine characteristics: 180 l / s, chassis option and cab version. This example is equipped with an isothermal van with refrigeration equipment. The cabin is huge, and for a delivery truck it can’t be called anything other than huge, it has deep niches on the sides. All the driver's tools will be removed here, look how the wheel chocks are lost in it.
The larger cab required changes to the delivery truck suspension design. Everything here is mature: powerful silent blocks in the front and air suspension in the rear. To lift the cabin, a hydraulic pump and a power cylinder are used; the cabin lock is equipped with a hydraulic drive.
Two 140 Ah batteries are hidden behind safety bars, which significantly limit access. No matter how old-fashioned it may seem, the factor of quick access to the battery terminals is a safety priority for me. By the way, the issue is resolved by installing a mass switch button. Let's take a look inside the cockpit...
The first impression when you get into the TGL cabin is a feeling of free space, which cannot be spoiled even by hard plastic. The designers managed to camouflage the age while maintaining internal comfort for the driver. The spacious interior is a characteristic characteristic of all MAN vehicles.
The instrument cluster, in German, is simple and concise. Nothing superfluous, despite the fact that everything is functional, everything is in its place. This is the kind of car that you get into without much consultation about “what is this button?” All devices, all toggle switches, exactly where they are supposed to be. The only thing I spent time on was searching for the steering column control pedal. She is in a strange place for her, on the left under the driver's seat. In the next photo.
There are no complaints about the seat itself or the working area. The driver's seat corresponds in its equipment to the flagship long-range TGX.
MAN has never abused electric drives, and here too, the hatch in the cab roof opens with an ordinary handle. By the way, you can easily reach the handle while in the driver’s seat.
Devices that are ready to outlast the car itself with their performance. Mechanical drive of the sun visor, I enjoyed it like a child.
The berth for TGL series trucks is more the exception than the rule. A driver who gets an office with a sleeping bag can equate it to winning the lottery. Comfort is at the highest level, bed length is 205 cm with a width of 75.
Auxiliary control functions are concentrated on the driver's door. Control unit for power windows and mirrors, door lock button. Powerful heating channels for the side windows in the mirror area.
To the left of the steering column there is a headlight control lever and a hood handle, let's look there...
Here we are unlikely to find revolutionary solutions, everything is quite familiar. The necks of all liquids to be filled, the oil dipstick, and cabin silent blocks are located under the hood. A low-mounted radiator is a common problem with all European delivery trucks; drivers should remember this.
The front suspension surprised me with its original solution. Perhaps in Europe with its highways this is not surprising, but here! A single-leaf spring on a car with a gross weight of about 12 tons looks kind of frivolous. We can say that this is a challenge to our roads, with a permissible load on the front axle of 4400 kg.
The TGL rear suspension is three-leaf, with two main and one radical, there is also an air version. The drive axle beam is welded and equipped with a stabilizer bar. Permissible load on the rear axle is 8400 kg.
The TGL on test is powered by a four-cylinder diesel engine, the D0834LFL70, producing 180 PS, equivalent to 132 kW and 700 Nm of torque. The motor meets the requirements of Euro 5 environmental safety standards without the use of urea. A Common rail direct fuel injection system, an EGR exhaust gas recirculation system to neutralize nitrogen oxides and a proprietary MAN PM-KAT® particulate filter are used.
The gearbox control on the MAN TGL is carried out in the spirit of conservatism, no cables, no hydraulics - good old traction. Simple and reliable solutions always make me happy, but this barrel of honey has its own fly in the ointment. Due to the lack of a telescopic mechanism, there is a large hole in the cabin floor, just like in the best traditions of KAMAZ. The test car was equipped with a ZF 6S-850 six-speed manual transmission.
Then there were test runs around a ring the size of two football fields. If you ask me about impressions, of course there are some, but they are too few to draw conclusions. Control of the TGL is intuitive, the steering wheel is effortless, almost like a car. The sound of a diesel engine penetrates the cabin, but I wouldn’t make a tragedy out of it. For me, the sound of an engine is one of the few melodies that has stood the test of time, I love to listen to it, especially at night.
17.02.2013
Valery Pisanov
for Blog Trucker
Now, let's go!
The power of our truck is 180 hp. The total weight follows from the index itself in the name - 12 tons. In fact, the power for a truck is far from the most impressive. A fully loaded car is unlikely to be able to easily accelerate on a hill; you will have to “tighten” the engine a lot to get the desired result. The engine complies with the Euro-4 eco-standard, and this directly affects the acceleration dynamics.
A tangible advantage of the MAN TGL 12.180 (with proper operation) will be fuel economy. The quality of fuel should be treated very carefully, since the engine is sensitive to any impurities that can quickly destroy the working unit.
After turning the ignition key, the gearshift lever immediately trembled noticeably in my hand. By the way, this is not surprising, since it is mounted directly on the motor. The manual transmission has six forward and one reverse gears. Should be enough. True, the gear lock is not the best, but the lever travel is within normal limits.
When the engine is running, you can immediately hear it, sound insulation is at an average level (nothing else could be expected from a cabin with a hole in the floor for the gearshift lever). The truck accelerated quite confidently, but not very much power was still felt. In the city, having reached third gear, you should not rush to switch it. The speed range is wide - from 1400 to 2400 rpm.
The steering is made to be a solid “A”, driving the car is almost as easy as driving a car. It is very convenient to maneuver in confined spaces, the turning radius is small. Disc brakes respond very quickly. One gets the impression that you are operating an obedient and flexible mechanism.
