Chennai – Daimler India Commercial Vehicles (DICV), the wholly-owned subsidiary of
Daimler Truck AG (“Daimler Truck”), today announced the market launch of the BharatBenz
heavy-duty truck (HDT) range equipped with the globally-proven 12-speed Automated Manual
Transmission (AMT) by bagging the first order of 80 units 3532CM mining tippers to a single
customer. BharatBenz, known for its highly capable construction and mining heavy-duty
range, strengthened its product portfolio by adding ‘Torqshift’ to the mix.
Named as ‘Torqshift’ for the BharatBenz range, the 12-speed Automated Manual
Transmission (AMT) has earned its stripes globally in hundreds of thousands of Mercedes-
Benz trucks. Known for making driving easy, the transmission will be available in the latest
BharatBenz models including the 4032T, 5532TS, 5532T, 2832CM, and the flagship model
3532CM.
Mr. Sreeram Venkateswaran, President and Chief Business Officer commented, “Heavy-
duty Construction and Mining (CM) trucks are one of our strengths and we have considerable
presence in this space. With the new 12-speed AMT in our CM portfolio, the customers will
see a significant benefit in productivity improvement in their operations and notable savings
as the overall fleet efficiency will go up. The deliveries for the 3532CM BharatBenz Torqshift
trucks have started and vehicles are already being deployed in operations. We will offer AMT
in Tractor Trailers (TT) as well, which will not only enhance the productivity of the vehicles, but play a critical role in improving road safety as well. This is a segment we foresee growing
steadily and with road infrastructure rapidly shaping up, BharatBenz Torqshift range will add
a lot of value to our long-haul logistics customers. Our AMT technology, adapted from
Mercedes-Benz trucks, delivers consistently on the total cost of ownership equation. It is
ideally engineered to suit Indian conditions to offer incredible value through our Mining
Tippers, Surface Tippers and Tractor Trailers.”
BharatBenz Torqshift range offers superior driving comfort with its smooth, jerk-free gear
shifting and significantly faster shift times, which greatly enhances the vehicle’s drivability.
Integration of the shift lever into the steering column not only improves the ergonomics within
the cabin but also contributes to better isolation of noise and heat, ensuring a more
comfortable drive.
Mr. Pradeep Kumar Thimmaiyan, President and Chief Technology Officer, Daimler India
Commercial Vehicles said, “The 12-speed AMT is a big triumph for us at India Product
Engineering as we achieved our goal to introduce this transmission in our BharatBenz
portfolio after meticulous planning and adaptive engineering, ensuring minimal cost of
development. A global technology like the Mercedes-Benz AMT, seamlessly integrated in our
BharatBenz Torqshift range of trucks, keeps in mind our customers’ needs in the market. This
technology is designed to reduce driving stress and to ensure a faster turnaround with
significantly higher fuel efficiency. Torqshift is engineered to minimize maintenance,
significantly improving the total cost of ownership for our customers. This aligns perfectly with
our intent to deliver not only well-engineered and safe products, but also ones that add
tremendous value to our customers’ businesses.”
Engineered to accommodate heavy-duty requirements in the Indian construction and mining
segments and long-haul, the Torqshift range has a wider selection of gear ratios and higher
input torque capacity, making the BharatBenz trucks ideally suited for handling gross
combination weights (GCW) from 28 to 55 tonnes. This robust performance is complemented
by an innovative design that eliminates the need for synchromesh parts, enhancing reliability
and reducing the need for frequent overhauls. Its compact and lightweight alloy housing offers
optimal mounting and an ideal power-to-weight ratio. Designed for extended service intervals
and reduced operating costs, the Torqshift’s fuel-efficient design is optimized for specific
operational conditions, thereby lowering the total cost of ownership. Safety is also a key
feature, with powertrain protection systems controlled by software that reduce the chance of
driveline component damage in demanding operating conditions. Additionally, the best-in-
class shifting mechanism enables very smooth gear transitions, promoting maximum driving
comfort and safety across multiple driving modes like auto, manual, power and eco.
