Mack rolled out its refreshed Mack Granite vocational trucks, including a cement mixer at World of Concrete.
The new Granite gets a modernized front appearance and some handy new features to improve safety, especially when driving at night.
The company will start taking orders in February for the refreshed model, with production starting in summer.
Brighter, auto-heated headlights
The new LED headlights on the refreshed Granites deliver cooler, whiter, light and illuminate more of the front and sides of the road.Mack Trucks
“We've had great feedback from our field tests in the North, and it's actually performing better than the previous headlights,” said Tim Wrinkle, Mack senior product manager. Noting that halogen lamps produce their own heat, he said the LED auto-heated versions were removing snow and ice quicker.
The lenses are impact resistant, and UV resistant to prevent yellowing over time, Wrinkle said.
The headlights are 50% brighter compared to halogen. They also illuminate a wider area, giving 50% more peripheral vision for better sight along the side of the road. Forward illumination is increased 12%.
“So you're able to detect objects sooner and react faster if there's anything coming in the road or any animals on the side of the road that you need to react to,” Wrinkle said.
He noted that the lights’ color is cooler and whiter for easier detection of objects and reduced eyestrain.
During the day, amber running lights come on and double as turn signals.
The headlights can also be easily replaced should damage occur, Wrinkle said. The headlights are also available to replace and upgrade the lights on older Granites.
Choice of redesigned grilles
Mack Trucks
The grille’s surround now goes straight across at the top instead of coming to a downward point at the center.
The Mack bridge logo design has also been incorporated into the grille. Turn signals have been placed on either side of the logo for easier indication to other drivers.
The air intakes have also been updated.
Customers will get a choice of grille on the new Mack Granites, black or bright. The photo above shows the new Granite cement mixer with all-chrome "bright" grille.Equipment World
Carryover features
The refreshed Granites will also come with a variety of features found on the latest current models, including mDrive HD 13th speed for startability and 14th speed as a creep mode, which is helpful when performing curb and gutter paving operations when slow movement is needed.
The Granites don’t sacrifice fuel efficiency for the increased startability, with the ability to run faster rear-axle ratios at highway speed, the company says. Mack calls this feature “two trucks in one.”
Interior features coming over to the refreshed Granites include:
- Flat-bottom steering wheel – for “extra belly room, and it's also a great place to rest your hand,” Wrinkle says.
- Premium seating
- Easy-to-view dashboard
- Command Steer – an electronically assisted hydraulic steering system
- Bendix Wingman Fusion 2.0 – integrates radar, camera and brakes into a driver-assistance safety system to prevent accidents
- Side Defender blind spot radar
- RollTek seatside-roll airbag system
Refreshed Mack Granite mixer truck at World of Concrete 2023Equipment World
When maintenance issues do occur that require coming into the dealership, Mack ASIST provides a quick communication platform between dealers and customers during diagnostics and repair.
The black redesigned grille, as seen above, will be standard on the new Mack Granites, with the option for an all-chrome grille.Mack Trucks
