The story of the MAN PowerLion drivetrain (2024)

Scania, often lauded as the crown jewel of commercial vehicle manufacturing for its high profitability, faced a serious challenge just before the turn of the millennium. Volvo, eyeing its rival with growing interest, had its sights set on acquiring Scania. When these ambitions became public, Scania’s CEO, Leif Östling, stormed onto the stage in fury, decrying the move as a “hostile takeover”

Ultimately, competition authorities blocked Volvo’s plans, forcing the company to shift its focus to Renault, where it finally secured the deal it was after. However, Scania’s challenges were far fromover. In 2006, MAN set its sights on the Swedish manufacturer, aiming for a takeover. Scania, however, found MAN’s advances just as unwelcome as those from Volvo. Scania’s major shareholder, Volkswagen, was also displeased and swiftly acquired a 15% stake in MAN. The story culminated in 2014 when Volkswagen ended Scania’s long-standing independence with a takeover. By 2019, Volkswagen further solidified its dominance by acquiring a majority stake in MAN, bringing an end to the Munich-based company’s 253 years of independence.

However, combining two distinct entities like MAN and Scania in real life is far more complex than executing manoeuvres on the stock exchange. The attempt made about a decade ago to integrateSwedish gearboxes into the MAN 4x2 seemed more like a symbolic gesture than a truly practical move. These gearboxes, which could only shift into crawler mode when stationary, still carried the now unnecessary synchronisation in the main gears and offered no real advantage over MAN’s TraXon gearboxes. In short, it was not a success.

The story of the MAN PowerLion drivetrain (1)

The confident statements made at the beginning of the decade about quickly integrating Scania’s brand-new 13-litre engine into MAN trucks gradually faded into silence as it became clear that the MAN chassis and the Scania engine were not easily compatible.

However, the moment has finally arrived – the new PowerLion drivetrain is making its debut, just as the masterminds at the Traton Group have long envisioned. Yet there’s a bittersweet note for some at MAN: an engine and gearbox with roots in Södertälje, Sweden, now powering a truck from the Munich-based brand. Still, within Traton, it is widely accepted that the leadership in heavy-duty engines and gearboxes rests firmly with Scania.

The MAN D15 and D26 engines are set to fade into obscurity, at least for MAN’s 4x2 tractors. Unlike the D38, these engines are unlikely to meet Euro-7 standards. However, MAN still requires a large engine, like the 15.3-litre D38, for the long term. It’s doubtful that Scania will share its V8engine with MAN as readily as it does the 13-litre engine and the G gearbox. Despite any nostalgia, there’s no denying that MAN has made a smart move with this new engine and gearbox pairing. The D26 engine is now 17 years old, and the TraXon gearbox is a decade old, while the Scania components are much more modern, dating back to the start of this decade.

In MAN’s terminology, the engine (130mm bore, 160mm stroke) is now designated as the D3066 (D30), and has advanced technical refinements that deliver an impressive efficiency boost of around 50%. The 12.7-litre engine boasts several key highlights, including double overhead camshafts, which are crucial for the two-stage AdBlue injection technology, the SCR-only principle, and enhancements such as 10-hole injection nozzles. These features enable peak cylinder pressures of up to 250 bar.

The story of the MAN PowerLion drivetrain (2)

What sets MAN apart from Scania is the inclusion of a moderate 380hp variant alongside the more powerful 420hp, 460hp, 500hp, and 560hp options, all under the emblem of the lion in the grille.

There wasn’t much for MAN to modify on the new Scania power unit, but some minor adjustments were necessary. For instance, the design of the new housing required the intake.

The highest gear now has a ratio of 0.78, following the 12th gear at Scania, and is labelled ‘OD’ (for overdrive) in the display. The lowest gear, denoted by ‘C’ for crawler, has a particularly high ratio of 20.8. On paper, this gives the Scania a 12-speed gearbox with both a crawler and an overdrive gear. However, to avoid confusion, MAN’s approach is to count from one to 14, though it faces the same challenge as Scania with the overdrive gear stage. This highest gear, with its ratio of 0.78, is not meant for constant motorway to switch sides. The gearbox, now known as the Tipmatic 14 by MAN, features significantly reducedinternal friction, up to eight reverse gears, an integrated retarder (providing up to 4,700Nm of braking force and equipped with a freewheel), and a completely reconfigured gear arrangement. This represents a departure from the previous standard where the highest gear functioned as a direct-drive for long-distance travel driving, but as an occasional option for more economical driving under specific conditions.

To address the temptation for drivers to favour the 14th gear over the 13th gear, which is preferred for motorway cruising, MAN’s solution is to display only the starting gear. This allows the driver to know and, if necessary, adjust their selection. In classic modes like Efficient or Efficient+, the display shows ‘D’ for drive mode and does not indicate the current gear while cruising

While Scania leads in heavy-duty engines and gearboxes within the Traton Group, MAN excels in electronics. It is therefore unsurprising that MAN technicians have crafted a remarkable piece of gearshift software. The smoothness and speed with which the PowerLion drivetrain transitions up and down the gears is almost reminiscent of mercury.

The story of the MAN PowerLion drivetrain (3)

This performance is enhanced by the new Predictive Drive function, which addresses the previous issue of stubborn downshifting around 1,000rpm. The system now operates as follows: if a lower gear with reduced torque offers better performance with the same or lower fuel consumption, the system quickly adjusts. This results in not only improved fuel efficiency, but also enhanced driving pleasure and performance.

Additionally, MAN has upgraded the sound insulation to address the previous issue of excessive cabin noise. The improvements include better powertrain encapsulation and a 0.81mm-thick acoustic interlayer in the windscreen, both of which significantly reduce noise levels andcontribute to a more enjoyable driving experience.

Further advances have been achieved in both braking and aerodynamics. According to MAN, issues related to residual drag torque in the brakes have been resolved with the introduction of a new brake pad resetting system. This system, located beneath the wheel, automatically retracts the brake pads from the brake disc after they have been released, using spring elements.

In terms of aerodynamics, improvements have been made with a redesigned frame and floor. The new frame panelling features hinged rubber lips that minimise air gaps at both the top and bottom. The D30 version of the TGX includes newly optimised underbody panelling in front of the steering axle to further enhance aerodynamic performance. Additionally, new combi tanks positioned between the frame and outer panelling provide a combined capacity of 690 litres for diesel and 165 litres for AdBlue.

The story of the MAN PowerLion drivetrain (4)

New interior colour combinations are nowavailable, including refined shades such as Desert Beige, Tuscan Red, and Moon Grey with Silver. The primary display has also been upgraded with new features, including a total train weight display. Additionally, the start-up information sequence now appears as soon as you enter the cab, even before inserting the ignition key. The round instruments have been redesigned as well; rather than traditional circles, they now feature a handle-like shape, all within a more streamlined display layout.

Interestingly, it’s not our colleagues from Scania offering the cheer this time, but rather the instrument designers at DAF. They are pleased to see their amphora design gaining recognition. While this design may not appeal to everyone, the new MAN truck as a whole stands out: with its exceptional cab and state-of-the-art driveline, it truly represents a picture-perfect dream team.

- This article was previoulsy published in Commercial Motor, tosubscribe see the latest Commercial Motor subscription offer

Photos: Vassilis Daramouskas, MAN and Scania

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The story of the MAN PowerLion drivetrain (2024)
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