You know that when the maker of the Unimog and G-Wagen puts its mind to making a construction truck, it's going to be awesome. And from the sneak peek Mercedes-Benz has given at its new line of Arocs construction trucks, they're going to be some of the best in the business.
The new Arocs line spans the range from mild to wild, with four available engine displacements and 16 levels of power, from a tame 238 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque (remember, we're talking heavy trucks here) all the way up to the rip-snorting OM 473 15.6-liter 625 hp and 2213 lb-ft of torque. All the engines are the traditional inline-six, the most common configuration for most commercial Class 8 trucks in the U.S. Breaking with convention, the Arocs will be offered exclusively with Mercedes-Benz's PowerShift 3 automated transmission, signaling the days of the third pedal, even in big trucks, might be drawing to a close.
The available drive configurations are just as mind-boggling as the engine choices, from a workaday 4x2, two-axle configuration to an 8x8, four-axle setup. There's even a four-axle configuration available with two steering front axles, as well as single front and triple rear axles.
Mercedes-Benz will show the Arocs line in all its glory to the public at the 2013 Bauma Trade Fair in Munich in April 2013.