The Mercedes-Benz Zetros is an off-road truck for extreme operations, first presented at the 2008 Eurosatory defence trade show in Paris. It was initially built only at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Wörth.
Mercedes-Benz Zetros at a glance
| First shown | 2008, Eurosatory, Paris |
|---|---|
| Built at | Wörth, Germany |
| Type | off-road truck for extreme operations |
| Power | 360 to 510 hp (265 to 375 kW) |
| Chassis | 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8 |
| Bodies | chassis, tipper or tractor |
| Facelift | 2019, with a more powerful engine and more variants |
| Engine after 2019 | 12,816 cc inline six diesel in all versions |
| Transmission | 16-speed manual with pneumatic assistance |
| Locking differentials | front, rear and transfer case |
| Top speed | 55 mph |
| Fording depth | up to 0.8 m |
This article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Mercedes-Benz Zetros.
History of the Mercedes-Benz Zetros
The Zetros was designed for extreme conditions and for military and civil defence work. It is compatible with the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft and fits into a standard German railway carriage, two requirements that shaped its size. It was first shown at Eurosatory in Paris in 2008 and initially built only at Wörth. The Canadian Army ordered the truck, with chassis built in Wörth and armoured cabins and custom modules added in Canada by Marshall Canada, Manac, Soframe and General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada, and Daimler has proposed producing it in France with Arquus for the French Army.
The Zetros is offered with engine power from 360 hp (265 kW) to 510 hp (375 kW), in all-wheel-drive and non-all-wheel-drive versions, with chassis, tipper or tractor bodies and in 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8 configurations. Besides normal truck work it has been used as an off-road tractor unit in the Middle East, the German company Harald Bruhn has built a Zetros-based agricultural trailer truck called the Secutor, and an unmanned ground vehicle version uses the MOSAIC Ground Autonomy Kit from Quantum Systems for autonomous military logistics.
In 2019 Mercedes-Benz presented a facelift with a more powerful engine and a larger number of variants. After the facelift all versions use one 12,816 cc inline six diesel with a 16-speed manual gearbox controlled by cable and pneumatic assistance, mechanical differential locks on the front and rear axles and in the transfer case, a top speed of 55 mph and a fording depth of up to 0.8 m. Operators include Algeria, where about 2,000 trucks are planned for local production, Bulgaria with 335 trucks, Chile with 330 vehicles ordered in 2016 and more in 2025, Finland, France, Germany with 110 armoured vehicles and Jordan, which received 20 Zetros 2733 A 6×6 and 50 Zetros 1833 A 4×4 trucks donated by Germany.
Design and features
- Extreme off-road work: designed for military and civil defence use.
- Three axle layouts: 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8.
- Transportable: fits a C-130 and a standard German railway carriage.
- Locking differentials: front, rear and transfer case.
Mercedes-Benz Zetros versions
- Chassis: for custom bodies.
- Tipper: for construction and disaster work.
- Tractor unit: for heavy haulage.
- Secutor: an agricultural trailer truck built on a Zetros.
- FLP-T 150: a French multiple rocket launcher on an 8×8 chassis.
- Unmanned version: with the MOSAIC autonomy kit.
The Zetros is a specialist truck alongside the Unimog and the Actros. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Video: Off-road truck for the Bundeswehr: the Zetros
Video by YouTube on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz Zetros, English Wikipedia: launch, variants, technical data, operators
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