It’s simply the best thing to hit the Australian and New Zealand transport industry in years.
The Freightliner Coronado 6x4 will be available in early 2011 in both Australia and New Zealand – and it’s going to change the local landscape according to Daimler Trucks.
“This truck really is an exciting development,” says Daimler Trucks senior executive Carlo Beltrame. “Because it meets all the criteria.”
“With that huge square grille it’s got a classic ‘Big Rig’ look but underneath the styling it’s all state-of-the-art technology which is designed to deliver reliability, performance and safety.”
The Freightliner Coronado is built around a core of proven technology but with the Coronado the total package has been taken to the next level.
“We’ve built it tough enough to go off-road to make sure it can do anything on-road,” Carlo said. “If you’ve got some serious freight, this is the truck for you.”
Power will be no problem with the Coronado available with up to 440kW (600 hp) available. There’s a choice of two heavy duty 6-cylinder engines with eight power options.
There is the Detroit Diesel DD15 – with 368kW (500hp), 390kW (530hp) and 412kW (560hp) options and the Cummins ISX – with 356kW (485hp), 368kW (500hp), 386kW (525hp), 405kW (550hp) and 440kW (600hp) options.
Both engines can be upgraded without changing the engine hardware and both are fully ADR80/03 compliant.
In a standard 6x4 configuration, the Coronado has a GVM of 24,000 kg and can be rated for 106,000 kg GCM for general highway use.
While keeping the power up, Freightliner engineers have taken care to keep the weight down with the Coronado’s tare starting from just 7,857 kg which means bigger payloads and potentially bigger profits every trip.
Depending on application requirements, the transmission can be an Eaton manual or Eaton AutoShift with SmartShift paddles mounted on the steering column to make driving even easier.
The giant grille not only looks the business, it does the business, fronting a redesigned air system which keeps the engine strong and cool.
Similarly, the Coronado’s bonnet is more than just good looking. Made from a single panel of fibreglass, it can take a lot of abuse and be easily repaired if it’s pushed too hard. And the bonnet’s built-in opening mechanism providing a generous 90 degree tilt makes it simple to access your engine.
The lightweight aluminium cabin exceeds the stringent European crash-worthiness standard and comes in five variations – from a Day Cab through to the luxurious 58 inch raised roof sleeper. Privacy curtains and noise abatement material will make sleeping a dream.
The EzyRider II high-back seats, a chrome and leather steering wheel, and an ergonomically designed dash that puts everything within easy reach help make the cabin a home away from home.
The Coronado has a flat floor throughout the cab and sleeper area making moving about so much easier, and there’s always plenty of headroom to further enhance driver comfort.
But while the Coronado makes the driver’s life easy, the truck itself is built for a life of hard work.
Its Meritor rear axle has a static load rating of 20,870 kg and rear suspension which comes in a choice of Freightliner Airliner or Hendrickson PRIMAXX airbag systems.
For the front axle, the Coronado comes with a choice of 6.35 or 6.5 tonne Meritor packages.
“It’s simply a fantastic truck which can cover so many applications – from line-haul and road train to local or intrastate deliveries – in a cost effective, reliable manner,” says Carlo.
In New Zealand the General Manager of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles Ian Walker says that the Freightliner Coronado will be launched locally in a “big way” on February 18. We will publish local specs and details in the March issue of Motor Equipment News.
