It is one of the important innovations of the IAA commercial vehicle exhibition in Hanover MAN It was an updated edition of TGE. The technical change was justified, since the Bavarian company’s light commercial vehicle has been in production since 2017.
MAN Truck&Bus announced in the spring that it had modernized its van at several points, which has been in increasing demand for years. In the first year of production, 2,000 units of the TGE were sold, and 26,000 units were sold by that time last year.
External
Its design seems to have no time. It still looks modern and clean. However, thanks to the technical update, MAN came up with demo versions that received many external “beautifications”. These include the exterior mirrors painted in piano lacquer, the radiator grille also painted in piano lacquer, and the silver inverted ‘C’ element that surrounds the right and left air intakes on the unpainted bumper. But the copper metallic finish (Pale Copper Metallic) is also one of the endowments of the facelift. It should be added right away that this is only the optical package of the limited series related to the introduction (TGE Next Level Edition), which means that the ordinary versions will not be so elegant.
The MAN TGE van is available on the Hungarian market as a single-cab flatbed, double-cab flatbed, combi, or passenger van. Since the subject of our article is a van, we will leave it at that and flash the dimensions of the TGE. The model is available in three lengths (5.9 m, 6.8 m, 7.3 m) and three roof heights (2.35 m, 2.59 m, 2.78 m). It is true that the double rear wheel versions are a few centimeters higher than the values just listed.
Internal
Regarding the passenger compartment, we have reached the most important point of the facelifted TGE. This is the area where spectacular changes are taking place. The engineers completely redesigned the dashboard structure and integrated new functions. The most important change is that the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel has become completely digital. In addition, a high-resolution central display was also released to manage the multimedia system.
In this area, what the driver can manage depends on the equipment. The standard has a diameter of 26.4 centimeters and can be ordered with or without navigation. And the peak is represented by the 32-centimeter diameter, which is supplemented with functions such as voice control or the Tidal music streaming service. Android and IoS phones can be connected to the multimedia system via the Bluetooth connection.
Optionally, the customer can request a wireless phone charger or even an internal microphone, which can improve communication between the driver and the passengers in the back row (In-Car Communication). Another significant change is that in the case of the TGE, keyless start, the electronic parking brake, and two additional USB-C charging points have been integrated into the dashboard (a total of four of these can be requested). They also waved goodbye to the classic-shaped shift lever for automatic transmissions. From now on, the driver can select the desired driving mode using the buttons on the multi-steering wheel.
The smallest, low-roof version has a cargo space of 9.9 m3, but customers can use up to 11.3 m311,4 m316,1 m316,4 m3 is 18.4 m3 – can also be requested with res cargo space. The maximum permissible total weight is 5.5 tons. With the help of the optional trailer hitch, towable masses of up to 3.5 tons can be moved with it. The design of the luggage compartment is sophisticated, and can be ordered with a total of 14 mounting tabs sunk into the floor. In addition, additional fixing rails can be placed on the floor, side walls, partition wall and under the roof.
Technique
A significant change in the engine range is that the previous, entry-level, 102-horsepower diesel engine has been removed from the range, due to restrained customer demands. The offer thus left three types of resources representing performance levels – 140 HP (103 kW), 163 HP (120 kW) and 177 HP (130 kW). In the case of two-liter turbodiesel engines, the customer can still decide whether to order the vehicle with a manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. The electric one is not part of the range for now. This is of course understandable, since the previous version using the e-Golf drivetrain would not be competitive on the market with its 115 km range.
Dashboard in the dashboard
The version we tested was a rather richly equipped edition. Among other things, it was equipped with lane keeping assistant, vigilance monitor, speed warning, fatigue monitor, emergency braking assistant, automatic distance control (ACC), speed limiter, and departure warning. The latter is an important pedestrian protection driving support system that notifies the driver if a cyclist or pedestrian is about to cross the vehicle’s path before driving off. The blind spot monitor is also a novelty, which the driver can also greatly benefit from. The latter two driving support systems are part of the standard equipment for N2-rated TGE models, while they are optional for N1.
Management
Managing the TGE has not become more complicated, in fact, both the instrument cluster and the multimedia system are in Hungarian. The former is well structured and follows the traditional layout in terms of design: the tachometer is on the left and the speedometer on the right. These include information such as the distance traveled, current fuel consumption, speed written out in numbers, graphics of lane keepers and distance keepers, sign recognition, range, and the current gear of the automatic transmission.
The multimedia system can be used, among other things, to fine-tune the driving support systems, manage the navigation, and surf between radio channels. In the more advanced versions, it is also possible to adjust the focus direction of the sound, but it is also possible to digitally adjust the mood lighting of the headlights and dashboard switches.
Image of the instrument unit
It’s easy to start with the TGE, as you only have to put the gear into gear and, if you gently step on the gas, the system will already switch off the electric parking brake. The van accelerates to city speed very easily and dynamically, but maintains its agility even when crossing the city limits, but the sign recognition system not only sends a visual, but also an audio warning if somewhere you must not exceed the speed of 80 or 90.
The lane keeping assistant is excellent at reading even the slightly more worn road markings, so when necessary, it makes very small adjustments to the steering with active steering. However, this is not disturbing at all, it is clear that the system is optimized for safe driving. Parking with the TGE is also not difficult, provided it is equipped with a rear reversing camera, the image of which is displayed accurately and precisely on the central display of the multimedia system. The navigation of the new product is reliable and easy to use, there was no need to use my own during the short test trip abroad.
It can be made in three different heights and lengths
There is no doubt that TGE was modernized exactly where it was needed. The update did not involve unnecessary options or the installation of redundant solutions. At MAN, they did their homework perfectly and modernized the TGE as much as it was needed.
Source: www.vezess.hu
