Actros celebrates 25 years

A total of five generations of Actros’ have been introduced over the 25-year period, with each boasting the highly sought-after International Truck of the Year award and title.

The Actros represents both the era of mechanical trucks and the dawn of the modern era of computerised trucks.

The Actros premium model series has delivered on every long-distance trucking requirement.

Commenting on the 25th anniversary, Maretha Gerber, vice president of sales and marketing at Daimler Truck Southern Africa, said, “We are gratified by the significant progress we have made as a trusted truck brand in the last quarter of a century. This milestone not only attests to our relentless efforts to produce the best-in-class trucks, but also demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the region. We would like to thank our customers, dealer partners, and employees for their enduring support. We are excited about what lies ahead as the commercial vehicle industry continues to advance.”

Actros (1998 – 2004)

The Daimler Motor-Lastwagen by Gottlieb Daimler in 1896 is widely recognized as the world’s very first motorised truck. The year 1996 marked a significant turning point for Mercedes-Benz Trucks as it introduced its first generation of Actros in Europe. It quickly gained popularity and was recognised as the International Truck of the Year in 1997.

The first-generation Actros officially arrived in South Africa in 1998. It offered innovative features such as the electronically controlled air brake system with disc brakes on both front and rear axles, as well as the introduction of controller area network (CAN) technology for the chassis and drivetrain. This year marked the beginning of a first-class and world-renowned model series that remains ahead of the curve in its market segment to this day.

Actros (2004 – 2009)

In 2004, the second-generation Actros made its debut in South Africa, offering the first automated transmission as a standard option to customers. It came loaded with industry-leading features such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist, and it won the International Truck of the Year 2004 award.

Actros (2009 – 2018)

The third-generation Actros introduced Fleetboard to customers. This in-house premium telematics system optimised fuel consumption, reduced wear and tear, and improved safety. It provided trip records, performance analysis, mapping, reports, and 30-second tracking, ultimately contributing to long-term cost savings.

In 2009, this Actros won the Guinness World Record as the most fuel-efficient 40-tonne truck in the world, as well as the International Truck of the Year 2009 award.

Actros (2018 – 2020)

This generation set new standards for road efficiency by introducing a Euro V emission engine variant for the first time. In addition to lane keeping assist, a driver airbag, and stability control assist, which were already standard on its predecessor, the fourth-generation Actros further raised the safety benchmark with additional safety systems such as attention assist, active brake assist 4 (including proximity control assist), roll control assist, and seat belt monitoring.

Fifth-generation Actros (2020 to present)

It claimed the phrase: “Everyone talks, one delivers.” It replaced main and wide-angled mirrors with MirrorCam, a camera system that plays a major role in safety and maneuverability.

It also boasts predictive powertrain control (PPC), a multimedia cockpit, active brake assist 5, and Mercedes-Benz Uptime with Fleetboard, and it won International Truck of the Year 2020.

The Actros is indeed worthy of the celebrations.

Source: MotorPress