Mk 11 events1/7/2024 There is very little need for a driver to intervene and make a manual change. The beauty of the Allison transmission is its consistent adaptation to the road conditions and requirements of the driver. The auto gearbox controller impairs cross cab access to an extent. The large module and gearstick are placed where the manual gear stick is normally located but it probably takes up more room than the control it replaces. If there is one element of the cabin layout which is not quite up to the same standard s the rest of the cabin, it is the controller for the auto gearbox. Trying to turn a truck around in a narrow street where there may be bins, pedestrians or impatient car drivers, it’s a good idea to have a clear view of everything in that blind spot directly behind the truck. On a number of occasions, in the centre of Sydney, this became very useful. On this demonstration model, a rear camera has been fitted to the truck body and when reverse is activated, the LCD screen shows a long wide angle view of the area directly behind the truck. Once the Bluetooth connection was made with this driver’s phone, hands-free operation was possible and the phone’s music library could be played through the speakers. The entertainment system, now fitted as standard on UD trucks, takes up two DIN spaces and includes an LCD screen. Truck designers have increased glass in new models considerably and placed it where it adds most to safety and visibility. This is a genuine safety improvement and has been little heralded. It has become accepted that if it is possible to get the bottom of the cab windows at around knee height, all-round visibility is much improved. The way we assess sleeper cabs may be in need of a rethink.Īll-round visibility is excellent. There is plenty of space in which to store equipment but this driver, for one, is unwilling to spend many nights sleeping in a cabin this size. In effect, this ADR compliance means you have a truck cabin with a substantial parcel shelf. In fact, this cab meets ADR 42/04, making it compliant as a sleeper bunk with mattress. There is plenty of control and adjustment to keep most drivers happy and comfortable. Although these seats are not the best available in a medium duty truck, they are a huge leap ahead of those fitted in this truck’s predecessor. But with the release of this model, that has changed. One of the ongoing issues over many years for UD, here in Australia, has been driver’s seats, which were inadequate to cope with Aussie driving conditions and drivers. The introduction of the new infotainment system reinforces the modern look and feel. Instrumentation is simple and clear, with controls close to hand and in the right place. Look and feel for the driver is similar to the new design introduced in the GW heavy-duty models several years ago. The cabin interior feels well designed with simple, clean lines and a driver-friendly layout. It looks like a modern truck and takes its cues from the shapes of contemporary vehicle design. The new cab is also aesthetically pleasing. The new design has greatly increased the total window area and, therefore, greatly improved visibility for the driver. This new cabin is a vast improvement on the previous cramped version. A day on the road in a city like Sydney can be hard work for a driver who is looking for delivery addresses, trying to keep to a timetable, avoiding careless or aggressive car drivers while getting a large vehicle through increasingly difficult traffic congestion.įirst impressions of this truck are good. Prime Mover took the new UD Condor MK 11 250, loaded, around the streets of Sydney to get an appreciation of what a day’s work in difficult traffic conditions in a major capital city will be like for the driver of the new MK, fitted with the Allison 2500 Series automatic transmission. The MD-T cab sees UD getting closer to the ideal of producing a truck that goes well and looks good. In the past, the company has offered a technically able truck let down by an ageing cabin design. With the arrival of the new cab in 2011, UD Trucks now has a vehicle for the 21st century: a modern package for the modern transport industry.
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