Perhaps the most capable wheeled vehicle ever built is returning to the country with some of the most challenging terrain in the world.
Willkommen back to Canada, Unimog: we’ve missed you.
When speaking with Hans Mross of Mross Import Service last year, there was an inkling that just such a revival was possible. Last week, the call came in: change was finally afoot.
After review by various boards, including branches of Environment Canada and Transport Canada, brand-new Unimogs may now cross Canadian borders once again. Mross is already in talks with several railyards – the ‘Mog excels at tough rail/road construction and repair duties – and you can expect to perhaps see one of these Mercedes-badged behemoths in your local commuter train’s servicing fleet.
Unimogs can be outfitted to do a variety of specialized tasks like fighting fires.
Handout, Mercedes-Benz
There are some restrictions of course. “If you’re thinking about putting a camper on one and driving it on the road, that’s probably not going to fly,” Mross says. New Unimogs will be classified as off-road vehicles, and thus be subject to the same rules as a tractor or backhoe.
On-road speed is limited to 40 km/h, slow, but capable of transiting between two large ranches, for instance. As with all working Unimogs, the trucks can be custom-ordered with various accessories and power take-offs. Mross will be importing them new directly from Mercedes through agreement with the factory.
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Fifteen-year-old Unimogs may be driven on the public road already, but the new machines are far cleaner-running. Officially, diesel emissions are rated at Tier 4 Final, but in typical over-engineered Mercedes fashion, the modern Unimog is even cleaner than required by regulations.
With portal axles, powerful turbodiesel engines, and ridiculous approach angles and fording capabilities, the Unimog is a trump card for almost any backcountry situation. We’ve got a lot of backcountry in Canada – just more space for a ‘Mog to roam.
The Unimog was originally built for farmers, but today it has many more uses.
Handout, Mercedes-Benz
