Mercedes-Benz Unimog Named Off-Roader Of The Year 2009 By Off Road Magazine

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Mercedes-Benz Unimog Named Off-Roader Of The Year 2009 By Off Road Magazine
Posted February 13, 2009 At 9:05 AM CST by T. Philips




In awards news, readers of the special-interest magazine OFF ROAD have just named the Mercedes-Benz Unimog off-roader of the year 2009 in the category of "Special-purpose vehicles."  This marks the fifth consecutive year the Unimog has taken the award, with the legendary model capturing 42.3 percent of the 44,000 votes tallied.  Models the Unimog beat out to take top honors included the Toyota Hiace, the Iveco Daily and the Ford Transit.

To learn more about the OFF ROAD Awards 2009 as well as the Mercedes Unimog, you can find the full details in the official press release below.

Enjoy ladies and gentlemen.



OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


Off-road award: The Mercedes-Benz Unimog is the Off-roader of the Year 2009

    * Readers of the special-interest magazine "OFF ROAD" have voted the Unimog the Off-roader of the Year in the "Special-purpose vehicles" category

    * Unimog takes first place with an outstanding 42.3 % of readers? votes

Stuttgart/Munich ? For the fifth time in succession, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog has been voted the best off-road vehicle of the year in the "special-purpose vehicles" category by readers of the special-interest magazine OFF ROAD. The "Off-roader of the Year 2009 ? Special-purpose vehicles category" award was made on the basis of a vote covering vehicles in eight categories in the December edition of this venerable Munich-based off-roader magazine. The OFF ROAD obelisk was recently presented during a ceremonial gala evening at the Munich theatre pavilion "Das Schloss". More than 44,000 readers took part in the vote between the 92 vehicles concerned. The Unimog won first place in the special-purpose category with an outstanding 42.3 % of the votes.

The categories for the readers? vote were "Off-road vehicles", "Luxury off-road vehicles", "Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs)", "Luxury SUVs", "Classics", "Pick-ups", "Special-purpose vehicles" and "Crossovers". The Unimog was clearly ahead of the field among the special-purpose vehicles ? off-road capable vehicles used to carry loads and goods to remote areas, or as a platform for special-purpose bodies such as firefighting, expedition and military vehicles. Characteristic product attributes such as outstanding off-road capabilities with portal axles, and enormous torsional flexibility combined with great robustness and solidity, were particularly praised.

The all-terrain Unimog series U 3000 to U 5000, which has been produced in W?rth since autumn 2002, is ideal for difficult off-road assignments well away from the beaten track and road. Its main areas of application are with the firefighting services ? especially for forest fires ? disaster relief services, expedi tions and servicing/maintenance work in areas where access is difficult. Accordingly the Unimog models U 3000, U 4000 and U 5000 ideally complement the vehicles in the U 300 to U 500 series ? off-road-capable implement carriers which are mainly encountered working in the municipal services, with municipal contractors, in the construction and energy sectors, in in-company transport and in dual (road/rail) operations. The youngest addition to the Unimog family is the compact Unimog U 20, launched in 2008.

The magazine OFF-ROADhas held its Off-roader of the Year readers? vote since 1982.

Copyright ? 2009, Daimler AG

[Tave]

I wish I hand one to take skiing.

[Submariner]

I want one, badly.

[the Teuton]

How was the Ford Transit on the list?

[Galaxy]

How was the Ford Transit on the list?

Good question. There exists a 4x4 version of the Transit, but it's not in the same league as the Unimog.

[Submariner]

Yeah...looking at that list, it's like putting an F22 up against a Cessna 172...not a very fair fight.