Share

Unimog shows its mettle, again

LONDON, England - Imagine a vehicle that can face any situation thrown at it, a vehicle that can operate both on and off-road, on rails and snow and even ford water up to 1.2m deep. Now imagine a Unimog from Mercedes-Benz.

Each winter there are a number of challenging tasks across the length and breadth of Britain which need the help of such a vehicle.

Designed and built to be more versatile and reliable than any other all-wheel drive truck, the Unimog is capable of 90km/h and has proven to use 40% ess fuel than a tractor.

PULLING POWER

The delivery of Christmas trees is a tradition throughout cities, towns and villages in the UK and with a large tree measuring up to 17m tall the diversity of the Unimog with its GVW of 11.99-tonnes and 213kW engine, shines through.

The Unimog has attachable and detachable components, its rail guidance system, based on two rail axles that are hydraulically lowered on to the track, change it from being an all-terrain truck to a powered rail vehicle.

A dual-mode Unimog can develop an enormous pulling power at a low weight, which can in turn tow loads of up to 1000 tonnes. A very handy feature when trains can weigh up to 8000 tonnes. Up to 100 dual-mode design Unimogs are delivered to railway companies around the world each year.

In addition to a torque converter clutch, specifically designed for pulling heavy loads, the Unimog U 400 can also include a crawler gear transmission for very slow operating speeds. This means the Unimog can also be equipped with either a snow blower or plough for clearing roads, tracks, airports and rails.

EXTREME OFF-ROAD

When off-road the Unimog shows its mettle while accepting any challenge thrown at it. Its ladder-frame chassis with tubular cross-members ensures the necessary rigidity on the road and allows greater flexibility when off-road.

The Unimog 5000 6x6, weighing exactly 7.24 tonnes is the No.1 vehicle in the range for its extreme off-road abilities. It has now acquired a third axle, extending the possibilities of the vehicles’ off-road speciality further. Its permissible GVW of 17 tonnes and a payload of 10 tonnes is now capable of tackling additional off-road assignments turning it into a versatile, all-round, heavy-duty specialist vehicle.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE