BharatBenz 1917R

The BharatBenz 1917R is a robust and reliable 18.5-tonne gross vehicle weight (GVW) medium-duty truck that offers excellent performance. Designed to meet transportation needs, with a focus on durability and comfort, the 1917R is popular among businesses and fleet owners. 

The BharatBenz 1917R haulage truck also comes equipped with lots of safety features such as a 3-point Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR), wiper-mounted water nozzle, demister, reverse camera, driver state monitoring system, and fuel theft protection device.

Additionally, for driver comfort and productivity, the truck features air-suspended seats, tilt and telescopic steering, power windows and a music system among other features.

Powered by a 4D34i model engine, the BharatBenz 1917R can reach top speeds of up to 80 kmph. It equips a 215-litre fuel tank with a 200-litre filling capacity for longer operations. Fitted with 295/90R20 sized radial tyres as standard, the truck also offers excellent wet-weather driving performance and traction on rough terrain.

With a starting price of Rs. 27.40 lakh which goes all the way up to Rs. 28.27 lakh (ex-showroom prices), the 1917R truck from BharatBenz is one of the best medium-duty trucks in the country.

BharatBenz 1917R Performance:

The BharatBenz 1917R is powered by a 4D34i model BS6-complaint diesel engine which can churn out 167.6hp at 2500rpm and 520Nm at around 1200-1600rpm. This engine is paired with a 6-speed manual transmission.

The truck also comes equipped with a chassis manufactured with high-strength

steel (material used: BSK 46, E 500) for ensuring superior durability and a joggled frame that helps in accommodating a bigger engine to ensure better vehicle stability. 

Further, the truck equips uniquely engineered low-rolling resistance tyres to produce maximum fuel efficiency in highway operations and an all-new accelerator pedal with optimised spring stiffness for steady fuel injection to ensure higher fuel efficiency and better driveability.

BharatBenz 1917R Specifications:

The 1917R has a GVW rating of 18,500 kg and features a multi-leaf spring suspension for higher stability under full-load conditions. It comes in three-wheelbase options: 5100mm, 5900mm, and 6700mm, with a ground clearance of 275mm. Additionally, it is equipped with a 43-litre Adblue tank, which can be filled up to 36 litres.

BharatBenz 1917R Features:

The BharatBenz 1917R comes equipped with multiple features necessary to improve driver productivity and safety. It features a cruise control system, central locking system, heating, ventilation & AC (HVAC) system, music system, an all-new instrument cluster and a driver state monitoring system to avoid dangerous situations of drivers falling asleep while driving.

Other features include an all-steel factory-built cabin adhering to all AIS 029 standards, a fire extinguisher and a diffuser tailpipe which helps in exhaust temperature management for safety and performance.

BharatBenz 1917R Rivals

The BharatBenz 1917R is one of the best 18.5 t GVW trucks currently available in the Indian commercial vehicle market. Key rivals of the BharatBenz 1917R include the Tata Ultra 1918.T , Eicher Pro 3019, Tata Ultra T.18 and Ashok Leyland Boss 1920.

Overview

To address the changing needs of customers and the different dynamics of the logistics and transport industry, BharatBenz recently expanded its MDT range of cargo trucks. The company has introduced the 1917R a 19T gross weight truck for medium to long haul shipment transport needs. This 6-tyre truck is part of the same DNA of performance but comes with superior aggregates, stronger powertrain, blending the technologies and greater total cost-of-ownership. 

With the addition of the 1917R, BharatBenz is trying to attract new customers into the MDT range. This new truck comes with several key features and aspects to help the customer earn higher revenues by spending less with a lower cost of operation. Some of the key aspects of 1917R include the higher 12T payload, multiple cargo decks and several capacity fuel tank with radial and bias tyre options, etc. This new MDT is suitable for all the key cargo applications such as agri, poultry, auto parts, fruits and vegetable, parcel and logistics, white goods and market leads, special applications like reefer, POL tanker, petroleum tanker, fire truck among others. Will this truck suit your business needs? Let's find out more. 

Exterior

Take a look at the 1917R from any angle, you won’t find much of a visual difference as it resembles the trademark BharatBenz trucks in India. The upmarket design, compact but modern cabin and cargo body give the truck a strong road presence. At the front, you see a wide windshield, a nice BharatBenz printed at the grill with logo a car -like headline and a rugged bumper. Like the rest of the BharatBenz truck, the 1917R cabin is the same that is used across the MDT range that is designed with advanced aerodynamics that offers the lowest air drag which translates into better fuel economy. The cabin is painted with high resistant paint with 800 hours of UV testing done for better cabin paint reliability. The windshield comes coated with multiple layers of infrared absorbing material to reduce heat penetration and allow better cooling inside.

The 1917R is a 6-tyre, 4x2 axle configuration haulage truck which comes with a sleeper cabin, that means this truck can take even intercity cargo trips. What is also visible from the exterior of this truck is the strong cargo deck, and you can build either a container or open cargo body, whatever suitable for your business. The cargo deck sizes start from 20ft and go all the way to 32ft between 5100 mm to 6700 mm of wheelbases. The chassis frame of 1917R is 274 x 70 x 7 in mm, which is all-weather resistance that has undergone 500 hours of salt spray to ensure moist and humid weather providing you with long life with the prevention of rust. The fuel tank is offered in multiple options like 215L, 380L, and 355L diesel capacity with 43L of Adblue tank. All 6-tyres are 295/80R22.5 and 295/90R20 size.  

Interior

While this is a new truck that caters to different breeds of customers in the logistics shipments business with several refined aggregates and engines. However, the cabin of this truck is identical to the other trucks that are available in BharatBenz India portfolio. So what stands out? Well, just get inside, and you will certainly find a lot. Firstly, the space inside isn’t a problem with quite premium material that makes it like a passenger car. 

The dashboard is contemporary with all the necessary controls & indicators to help the driver navigate this truck effectively. Like any BharatBenz truck, the 1917R has a cabin that comes with heating, ventilation and AC, music system, power windows, central locking, static steering and tilt and telescopic steering. To offer you a safe truck, the 1917R get seatbelt reminder, demister to remove the fog, daytime running lamps to ensure vehicle visibility, reverse parking assistance for easy parking at tighter spots, and a rear camera. 

Performance 

BharatBenz has worked on the powertrain of this truck to enable bigger payload shipment rather effortlessly. Unlike the 150hp engine in the other trucks, The 1917R gets the more powerful 170hp engine that means a better combination of power, torque and pickup on multiple cargo application needs. So the engine on this truck is the same proven 4D34i that produces 170hp of power at a sizable 520 Nm of torque. The engine is tuned to 6-speed manual gearbox to offer you driving comfort and superior mileage. 

The aggregates include 362 mm single dry plate, hydraulic actuated clutch, multi-leaf front and rear suspension, with standard anti-roll bar for hazardous goods pack, high centre of gravity pack & 6700 wheelbases optional for other applications. The service brakes are the pneumatic type with foot-operated in dual-line while the parking brake is spring actuated with hand brake valve. 

To climb upwards easily, the maximum gradeability of this truck is 23.6%, the turning circle radius is 17.3m, 19.3m, and 22.6m for respective wheelbases. What is common on this truck is the worldwide used and proven SCR technology that ensures your truck runs at the maximum potential offering you fuel mileage and power benefits. To make your ownership experience superior, BharatBenz offers you all digital tools like TruckConnect App and also an overall customized service package along with all India support across the company’s network. 

Safety

The 1917R gets the standard safety features that all BharatBenz trucks are equipped with. Seat Belts, reverse parking, rear camera demister and daytime running lights, standard anti-roll bar central locking, etc. Moreover, the truck is designed, developed, validated, and tested for Indian operating conditions to take on challenging cargo needs. 

Verdict

If you’re looking to buy a truck in the MDT segment among the major products from the market leaders, BharatBenz 1917R comes as a refreshing new option that now promises a lot. Apart from the modern and elegant exterior look of the the1917R, you get a higher power engine, proven aggregates and multiple cargo body options as per the needs of your business. The truck is highly capable of even long-haul trips with moderate to heavy cargo shipments. You can deploy this truck on almost all-terrain, with the BharatBenz support for running an efficient and modern fleet. So visit a the nearest BharatBenz dealership to explore this truck in person before you make-up your mind.