New generation Unimog unveiled

With the concept of &#39be;st value' becoming ever-more important, municipal operators with an under-utilised waste management vehicle fleet could do worse than consider the new Unimog from Mercedes-Benz. Capable of performing a variety of tasks from sweeping and mud-ploughing to emptying septic tanks in remote or off-road areas, the Unimog can also be swiftly adapted to perform a completely different range of functions, such as hedge-cutting, mowing or overhead street-lighting maintenance. According to M-B's Sales Director, Mark Hopkins, the new generation Unimog displays first real innovation since the range was launched around 20 years ago. Initially, two variants – the U300 and the U400 – will be available in the UK, with the heavier duty U500 scheduled to follow next year. The list of new features is long and impressive with flexibility being the watchword throughout. A choice of two power outputs, backed by a modularised system for equipment-fitting and a thoughtful overall design concept all goes to make the new Unimog a formidable contender in the implement-carrier field. The key difference between the U300 and U400 variants is the gross vehicle weight (gvw); the U300 is for use in the range of 7.5 to 10.2 tonnes gvw, while its big brother is for 11.99 to 12.5 tonnes. Maximum payload for the U300 is 4.5 tonnes, two tonnes more for the U400.