MAN is making some big noises about its all-new TGE van, which will compete squarely with the Sprinter in minicoach and minibus applications in coachbuilt and converted form, says the builder
An intriguing challenger of the minicoach and minibus market’s status quo has arrived in the MAN TGE.
Available at GVWs of between 3,000-5,500kg – and including the key 3,500 and 5,000kg weights – it will, says the builder, be a well-engineered and refined addition to the sector.
MAN is investing a huge amount in the TGE. It represents its first attempt at a light commercial vehicle, and while it may be at the smaller end of the PCV market, MAN promises aftersales support that will be the equal of that delivered with its full-size products.
It has introduced the lighter models of the TGE first, and discussions are already proceeding with a number of converters.
One in particular tells miniplus that it sees significant potential for the TGE in accessible form; another expects to release more information about its plans soon. Several other converters have not hidden their enthusiasm for the newcomer.
Alongside the Volkswagen Crafter, the TGE is produced at an €800m plant in Poland. By 2020, it will build 100,000 TGEs and Crafters per annum.
Factory-finished minicoaches and minibuses are promised to follow vans and chassis cabs in 2018. So what’s the TGE all about?
The basics
The TGE is available in three lengths (5.99, 6.84 and 7.39m) and, as a van, in three heights. A chassis cowl is also offered for coachbuilt bodywork. Examination of the bare vans displayed by MAN at a product discovery day in September showed that the TGE’s load area is uncluttered and logically put-together, which should make conversion simple.
Both front- and rear-wheel drive arrangements are available. TGEs with a GVW of up to 3,500kg are in the former category, while those that are 5,000kg and 5,500kg use the latter. Additionally, a 4,500kg offering is available with either configuration; a 4×4 layout can also be had.
Under the bonnet, MAN uses an Audi-derived two-litre, four-cylinder engine. It has four ratings between 100-180bhp, with the most powerful using a bi-turbo arrangement.
Torque levels are respectable, with a maximum of 410Nm. To benchmark that, the 2.2-litre four-cylinder OM 651 engine used in the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter develops a maximum of 360Nm, and the 3.0-litre OM 642 V6 tops out at 440Nm.
Gearboxes in the TGE are a six-speed manual and two eight-speed automatics.
In front-wheel drive models, the automatic ‘box is from a Japanese builder, while rear-wheel drive variants use the same ZF unit that has generated rave reviews in the Iveco Daily.
Hidden benefits
A strong base vehicle is one thing, but the TGE also comes with what is as yet an industry-leading array of driver assistance aids, although Mercedes-Benz promises the same in its new Sprinter, due next year .
Besides the usual, they include side assist – a group of sensors that detect and warn the driver when either side of the vehicle is close to an obstruction – and parking assist. The latter is the same as that found in many cars, and the opportunity to try it out proved that it works well.
Trailer assist will be appreciated by some minicoach operators. In a nutshell, it allows the driver to reverse the TGE with a trailer attached without the risk of things going majorly awry.
Through a dash sensor, and an optional rear view camera, the TGE steers itself, the driver guiding it into position by using the rotating electric mirror control beneath the signalling window.
That’s the key; it is the trailer direction that is governed by the driver. Thanks to the TGE’s electro-hydraulic steering, the van changes direction automatically to push the trailer to where it is required. The driver also controls the throttle.
MAN calls the electro-hydraulic steering one of the TGE’s USPs. At slow speeds, it is very light, but at higher speeds there is much more ‘feel’.
Additionally, the TGE has engine stop-start as standard, which along with lane assist gives a vehicle that is as high-tech as operators will find in this sector – for now.
Backing it up
Operators of minicoaches from Iveco and Mercedes-Benz are used to 24/7 dealer support, and MAN will offer that for the TGE.
But as the TGE is also available at lighter weights, it creates an interesting possibility for community transport operators, local authorities and others who typically take lighter chassis.
Instead of having to accept the comparatively restricted opening hours of some chassis suppliers involved in the lightest end of the sector, the TGE puts them into the scope of round-the-clock back-up. That’s one of the model’s main attractions, says one converter.
But it’s not just bodybuilders and converters who will be involved in selling the TGE in passenger-carrying applications. MAN has confirmed that it will supply factory-finished minibuses and minicoaches, and it will also offer chassis cowls for coachbuilt applications, all from 2018. More details are expected in due course.
