AKAGERA MOTORS launches the new Mercedes-Benz Actros

The launch of Mercedes-Benz Actros took place at Kigali Convention Center and was attended by ABG partners, esteemed customers, management from Mercedes-Benz and ABG management.

Attendees had time to test the newly launched Actros, which is fuel efficient and promising high return on investment. The launch is yet another milestone for ABG, bringing easy access to Rwandans who would find it difficult to purchase genuine spare parts locally.
Speaking at the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz Actros, the Managing Director of AKAGERA BUSINESS GROUP (ABG), Vinay Gorajia considered the achievement as “another milestone and history of AKAGERA MOTORS with over 20 years of presence in Rwanda.”

Currently, AKAGERA MOTORS represents brands like MERCEDES-BENZ, FUSO, MCV, FOTON, TOYOTA, KIA, NISSAN, and MAHINDRA.

Mr. Gorajia assured that “ABG is committed to becoming your trusted business partner in transport and logistics needs. Not only from the aspect of selling you products but the long-term relationship of servicing the products for you so that all the cost of ownership is as low as possible, which will translate into a very good financial position for your company.”

“Asset management is one of the key factors that many companies struggle with because of the cost of ownership from maintenance and fuel consumption point of view. This is a key element we are going to be focusing on in 2019 with the most recent upgrades and how we can assist you,” he added.

Mr. Gorajia explained that the management of a company should be able to concentrate its full resources on the primary objective and outsource other services to the experts, noting that brands like Mercedes-Benz will benefit customers given that it is a renowned company for robustness whether in passenger or commercial vehicles.

“Today, AKAGERA MOTORS is taking the commitment to you, our valued partners, that AKAGERA MOTORS will strive to give the right product for the right application where the total cost of ownership is the lowest and life cycle of the product in your fleet will have the highest resale value when it is time for disposal. If your vehicles are maintained under the right conditions, you will definitely get the highest resale values,” he noted.

Torsten Bauerheim, Head of Sales and Customer Service at Mercedes-Benz Trucks said that more than 120 years after investing in the first truck and now after 20 years of the proven Actros, it is time to enter into a new dimension of heavy-duty trucks in Rwanda’s market. “We are proud to present our newly developed product range to you. The new Actros, a synonym with efficiency and reliability and robustness worldwide but especially in Africa,” he said.

He explained that the Actros are equipped with new standards, displaying beauty with complete new functional and aerodynamic cabins, which is the biggest change inside. The Actros stands for robustness, versatility, high residual values, user-friendly and genuine spare parts availability which makes Mercedes-Benz a worldwide and in Africa and in Rwanda known and valued.

Bauerheim commended the strong partnership with ABG facilitating access to Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Rwanda.

“All together we deliver you the best to the cost of ownership. You prove every day that business and our trucks are successful together. All this would not be possible without great cooperation with AKAGERA MOTORS our valued distributor for Rwanda. We are proud of our relationship with ABG as a strong network is the basis of our business. We move to enter into a new dimension,” he noted.

Rodrigue Kajio, Regional Sales Manager at Mercedes-Benz Trucks covers sales of Mercedes-Benz in 20 countries. West and Central Africa took participants through Mercedes-Benz journey, which in 1995 was the first truck manufacturer to test and introduce a truck electronically controlled, Actros MP1 and kept upgrading with the launch of MP2 in 2002 and MP3 in 2008.

Kajio described the Actros truck as reliable and provides economic advantages in addition to its reliability, efficiency, and robustness.

“After 20 years of classic Actros, Mercedes-Benz has decided to move into a new dimension. Today what we are presenting in Rwanda are the new Actros and Arocs. The Actros stands for long transport and the Arocs is set for the construction industry. These are the two trucks we are bringing today into Rwanda.”

“We are in a world where the transport and fuel cost is going high. So the transporter is not able to make profit anymore. The promise of Mercedes-Benz is to provide a more profitable truck for the transporter.”

“The new Actros and Arocs are trucks consuming less fuel, more reliable, feature the Power Shift 3 engine and eliminates all negative influences of the drivers on the truck. So the maintenance costs are improved. This is the way Mercedes-Benz as a company can allow the transporter to save more money in their pocket.”

Ravi Gorajia, the Vice President and Technical Director of AKAGERA BUSINESS GROUP told Hope Magazine that the launched Actros is updated with a new design, technologies and is different from the previous Actros models; being fuel-efficient, robust and promising return on investment.

“They are specifically designed for heavy loads and for transporting short and long distances. It is very powerful and fuel-efficient. It has the new Mercedes-Benz Power Shift 3, the engine management system and the computer that controls the system knows the terrain,” he said.

Mr. Gorajia explained that 8 to 10% of the fuel is saved hence reflecting one’s finances.
The end result for your business is an economical mode of transport that one can have. It is technologically advanced, new designs, robust, strong and has a very beautiful ergonomic design inside and outside with top balance sides. “There are several factors making this vehicle unique. Mercedes-Benz gives you a product for the right application that is going to last practically as long as you want it to last,” said Mr. Gorajia noting that the new development eases servicing to new and existing owners.

“We have many transporters here in Rwanda who have a good fleet of Mercedes-Benz. We would like to partner with them and support them in after sales service and we cannot do that if we are not authorized, distributors. That is why we have been working with Mercedes-Benz to create a joint venture between the two companies to give our customers who have been using Mercedes-Benz for a long time in Rwanda but have been lacking after sales service support, now they can buy them here in Rwanda.”

AKAGERA MOTORS also has passenger vehicles and plans to bring more models in the future based on customer needs. “It is a long-term investment and relationship we want to create with our customers. We are here for the customers and whatever they need we will provide them,” explained Mr. Gorajia.

The Actros enables you to make more profits when out and on the road with many fuel-saving technical innovations and custom made service offers such as Service Contractors or Extended Warranty packages. The Actros is easier and safer to drive and more outstandingly capable than any other truck that’s gone before.

The truck has been built to deliver top performance even in the most extreme conditions with reliability expected from Mercedes-Benz.

The Actros is equipped with leading Mercedes-Benz vehicle technology and components tested under the toughest conditions. This applies to engines, gearshifts, transmissions and drives axles as well as frames, chassis, suspension, and cabins. Everything is perfectly coordinated in order to meet all requirements reliably even in extreme conditions and difficult terrain. Compelling the quality that is immediately apparent the first time you take to the wheel and which will continue to bring benefits for many years to come.

All components of the powertrain on the Actros are ideally coordinated and produced exclusively by Mercedes-Benz.

The Actros has a powerful cylinder in-line engine: the 12.8-liter OM 460.

Mercedes-Benz Power Shift 3: The Actros enables superior dynamic response, simple handling and low fuel consumption: the automated transmission comes as standard. It ensures precise gear selection, short shift times, high driving comfort and optimal economy. Various driving programs provide a convincing shifting strategy appropriate to the individual driving situations and the load carried at the time. Each driving program consists of three transmission modes: standard, manual and the specific mode selected with the driving program.

With its automated and intelligent shifting, Mercedes-Benz Power Shift 3 protects the powertrain, significantly reducing maintenance and operating costs and thus contributing to the profitability of your business.

{{Clutches:}} The Actros features a new single or double-disc clutch incorporating overload protection with a warning system which is designed for vast levels of torque up to 3,000 Nm. The wear-free turbo retarder clutch is also available. This offers maximum performance when moving off maneuvering with particularly high gross combination weights.

{{Rear Axles:}} The weight optimized drive axles on the Actros boost low frictional loss and extremely smooth running. Fuel-efficient hypoid drive axles are designed for axle loads of up to 13 tons or further optimized planetary axle loads of up to 16 tons. Vehicle and powertrain configurations are additionally available ex-factory, which enable permissible weights of up to 68 tons, 80 tons and 120 tons or as a heavy haulage vehicle up to 250 tons.

{{Engine}}: Boost not only high power but also a reliable and durable design. The OM 460 features particularly robust technology with pump-line-nozzle injection system.
The high power of the engine brake and retarder boost the available brake power, reduce wear and improve economic efficiency.

The Actros is equipped with an improved engine cooling system, which keeps you going no matter the heat. Due to this asset, the truck receives a higher engine output even during high ambient temperature or altitude.

{{Protection:}} The air intake was dust optimized with a cyclone air filter, which collects up to 80 percent of dust and large particles inside the rubber valves. This means a reduction in maintenance cost due to reduced soiling of the paper filter and longer filters change intervals.

{{Extensively Tested:}} All Actros components come in particularly durable, repair and maintenance-friendly design and boost the high degree of reliability. This is ensured by extensive testing at the Mercedes-Benz Development and Testing Center in Worth for example where worldwide road conditions are simulated, enabling trucks to be tested under the toughest conditions.

{{Low Fuel & High Efficiency:}} With significant fuel savings, the Actros with its new 6–cylinder in-line engine is a particularly economic proposition. Further fuel savings can be achieved by changing from a manual shift to Mercedes-Benz Power Shift 3.

{{Euro III:}} Concealed beneath the cabins are heavy-duty 6-cylinder in-line engines with a displacement of 12.8 or 15.6 I. Their closely graduated outputs range from 265Kw (360 hp) to 425 (578 hp). All of the engines are durable, perform highly efficiently and accelerate impressively from low revs. On top of this come technical highlights such as full electronic control and with the OM 473, the unique X-pulse injection system with pressure boosting and the asymmetric turbocharger.

{{Brakes:}} In addition to the proven electronic braking systems with dis-engage-able ABS, ASR, Brake Assist and hill holder, powerful, wear-free engine brakes provide added safety. The Actros can additionally be fitted with the wear-free continuous High-Performance Engine Brake. This three-stage brake system offering up to 480kW of brake power reduces wear on the service brake while enhancing safety, the Actros can be equipped with the new high-performance secondary water retarder. This retarder offers increased brake power, higher average speeds on downhill stretches and less weight than conventional oil retarders.

{{Aerodynamically Efficient}}: The design of the Actros has been optimized right down to the finest details in order to reduce wind resistance. Engineers have developed a special cabin variant with an aerodynamically-optimized design and therefore low fuel consumption: The Streap Space cabin features such as the door extensions, aerodynamic attachments and tire pressure monitoring also save fuel.

{{Body Mounting Capability:}} The frame with the consistent 50mm hole pattern provides the basis for the Actros’s high body mounting capability. Other assets include a wide range of wheelbases, frame overhangs and end cross-members selectable ex-factory and a broad selection of tank variants. These include the combination tanks for diesel and hydraulic oil. Good body-mounting capability is additionally supported by the parameterizable special module and pre-installations and consoles, which are available ex-factory.

{{Safety & Assistance}}: In addition to the electronic braking system with dis-engage-able ABS, ASR, Brake Assist and hill holder, the high standard of safety is also supported by Stability Control Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Attention Assist and Roll Control Assist Systems such as Active Brake Assist, the bi-xenon headlamps, the rain/light sensor, the co-driver mirror with a maneuvering function and the tire pressure monitoring system help the drive to mitigate accidents.

{{Active Brake Assist:}} The fourth generation of the system assists the driver by carrying out a full brake application in response to stationary and moving objects and partial braking in response to pedestrians in motion; in this way, it can reduce the severity of accidents or even prevent them.

{{Diverse Cabins:}} The cabins combine especially fuel-efficient aerodynamics with outstanding interior space and storage space. Up to 22 cabin variants in widths of 2,300mm or 2,500mm, three cabin lengths (S, M and L cabins), a level floor or an engine tunnel height of 170 or 320mm, headroom of up to 2,130mm and six roof shapes – the Actros is always able to offer a suitable cabin for your needs.

{{State–Of-The-Art:}} The newly designed workplace, with a cockpit that is ideally suited to the driver’s needs, offers optimum working conditions because everything is arranged ergonomically and within easy reach. From switches and stowage compartments in the dash support to the gearshift, which is now operated via the steering-column lever. The multifunction steering wheel can be adjusted via a foot-operated switch and moved to a virtually vertical position for getting in and out.

AKAGERA MOTORS – +250 788 170 120 – [SALES@ABGAFRICA.COM->SALES@ABGAFRICA.COM] – [WWW.ABGAFRICA.COM->WWW.ABGAFRICA.COM]