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18newsMAN Launches Flagshipto Mark 20th Anniversary in the UKMAN Truck & Bus UK is introducing a new, limited edition, flagship tractor as partof its 20th Anniversary celebration in the UK; the ‘Corinthian5’, as the vehicle hasbeen named, will be available on both 4x2 and 6x2 MAN TGX tractors.The limited edition ‘Corinthian5’The news was revealed at arecent Press gathering in Londonwhen MAN confirmed that it hadlifted its European market sharefor the sixth year in successionin 2011 despite what was adifficult market which, it says,will remain so throughout 2012.Over the last four years, truckvolumes in general have been30% lower than the 20 yearaverage of 44,500 trucks, butthat said, 2011 was the bestever year in the UK, with a 73%increase in registrations, withMAN’s market share just behindthat of DAF and Mercedes-Benzand ahead of Volvo and Scania.The next four years, reckonsMAN, should see the UK marketstabilise with volumes risingto around 40,000 trucks peryear, equally divided betweentractors and rigids – and MAN’snew flagship should help keepthe manufacturer to the fore.Based on the highly regardedMAN XXL cab, the MANCorinthian5 will offer a choiceof MAN’s tried and testeddriveline technology, withD26 engines at 440hp, 480hpand 540hp and the MANTipMatic automated gearbox.Active safety features are animportant part of the innovativeapproach by MAN to its ‘flagship’vehicle, with the companychoosing such things as itsLane Guard System, ElectronicStability Programme and AdaptiveCruise Control to differentiateCorinthian5 from the morecosmetic stance often adoptedin this niche of the market.More innovation awaits thedriver in the shape of aniPad2 communications andentertainment system, as well asthe additional luxury of leatherseats and interior cab fittings.Speaking about the launch,MAN sales director in the UK,Sandy Millar, said: “We don’tanticipate selling huge numbersof the MAN Corinthian5; it simplyisn’t that sort of truck. But, asa leading manufacturer in theheavy tractor market, we’ve beengetting enquiries for some timenow from our customers for aflagship model, and I would bevery surprised if we didn’t havea customer liveried Corinthian5on our stand at the CV Showin a couple of months’ time.“This is a tremendous truck inmany respects, and its use of thelatest technology and interactivesystems have already led to itbeing described as ‘the intelligenttruck’ by operators who havebeen involved in some of thedevelopment work with us.”The new truck will come completewith MAN’s comprehensive 3year warranty and the company’shighly regarded MAN EcoStylevehicle and driver performancemonitoring system.Comfort ManagedMeanwhile, we are also toldthat MAN Truck & Bus UK is tolaunch its innovative ‘ComfortManaged’ programme at theCV Show in April, as part of itsdrive to support not only thegrowing MAN vehicle parc offive years and older, but othervehicle makes and trailers as well.MAN Comfort Managed is abudgeted programme of R&Magreements that will considerany vehicle or trailer, regardlessof make or age, putting it ontoeither a ‘Pay as you go’ billingsystem or a Monthly Budgetplan. With ‘Pay as you go’,the operator is billed througha consolidated invoice at theend of each month, with adetailed report also supplied tosupport the costs incurred.In the case of the MonthlyBudget approach, the operatorpays MAN a fixed monthly rate,with a financial reconciliationcompleted every six months.Benefits to operators of vehiclesover five years old that maybe out of original R&M plansare significant. Apart fromgetting access to a top qualitymanufacturer’s national network,with all that means in terms ofnationwide response, support,quality and compliance, theyenjoy centralised control andadjudication of costs; standardrepair times; documented vehiclehistory checks to eliminatepayment for repeat failures,parts warranties, warranty costsand so on; fixed, discountedR&M parts pricing; fixed, lowerthan standard labour rates;access to MAN‘s fast-growinge-workshop system for schedulingand documentation storage;and single simple invoicing.Pricing promisesMAN has also launched aninnovative Menu Pricingservice, available by phone, orat the service counter, fromany one of MAN’s 68 strongservice dealer network.This is a computer basedprogramme that has taken some800 of the most commonlyrequired service requests andanalysed all the parts, labourcosts and other aspects toproduce a fixed and competitive‘local’ price. Things such brakeadjustment and testing, MOTs,clutch overhauls, routine enginerepairs and so on have all beenanalysed and complete packageprices, based on local servicehours pricing, have been workedout and entered into the MANMenu Pricing programme.Operators can simply quote thevehicle registration number forany MAN service dealer to be ableto pull up all the relevant vehicledetails, enabling the quotes to befully specific to the actual truck.“MAN,” says Denis Evans,Head of Aftersales BusinessDevelopment at MAN UK, “hasaround 14,000 vehicles betweenfive to seven years old in the UKvehicle parc at 6t and above.They all need our network atsome stage, and they are allentitled to a fast and accuratepricing service; MAN Menu Pricingnow ensures that they get it.”MAN 20th Anniversary Flagship 1pg.indd 18 19/03/2012 16:32