New Medium-Duty Engines from Daimler Trucks

The upcoming DD5 is a 5.1-liter in-line 4-cylinder diesel 

will be based on the OM934 and like that engine’s 

derivative OM936, there will also be a partner DD8, 7.7 liter six.

Detroit will build two new engines that will fill out Daimler Trucks North America’s (DTNA) diesel engine line. The upcoming DD5 and DD8 will form the Medium-Duty Engine Platform, complementing the Heavy- Duty Engine Platform (HDEP) of  the DD13, DD15 and DD16.

The announcement was made mid-November during the launch of American production of the DT12 transmission in Redford, Michigan. The Redford plant produces the HDEP engines for NAFTA. It also produces a wide range of steer and drive axles for the Freightliner, Western Star, Thomasbuilt buses and FCCC chassis and package cars.

From 2018 and with a $325 million investment, it will be home to production of the two new engines and 160 new jobs.

To an audience of local dignitaries and 2,000 production workers, Dr. Frank Reintjes, head of truck powertrain for Daimler Trucks, introduced the latest addition to the Detroit DD lineup: a new 5.1-liter, 4-cylinder DD5 that will debut in mid-to-late 2016 for medium-duty M2 Freightliner trucks.

Initially, the DD5 will be shipped to the United States from Mannheim in Germany, but at the transmission launch ceremony DTNA president Martin Daum said plans call for production of the engine in Redford by 2018.

In the interim, a 6-cylinder version of the engine will be launched in 2017 to be designated the DD8. With two additional cylinders, that engine will have a 7.7-liter displacement. Initially, engines will be for the Freightliner M2 mediums. By 2018 all DTNA truck and bus brands will have the DD5 and DD8 engines available.

The engines have been available in Europe, designated OM934 and OM936 for the 4- and 6-cylinder, respectively, since 2013 in a number of Mercedes-Benz trucks. According to Reintjes, both engines will be fully compliant with U.S. greenhouse gas emissions legislation scheduled for 2017.

In their European ratings, package size and weight, the engines are clearly targeted at Cummins ISB and ISC engines available in Daimler commercial vehicles here. According to Daum, that will continue in line with the DTNA policy of offering customers choice in main components, Cummins’ engines will continue to be available.

There was little detail about the upcoming 5.1-liter DD5 or 7.7-liter DD8 to be built in the Redford Plant. Mechanically, they will be the same as the European engines, but will have different electronic “personalities” to fit with market needs here. There are no plans to offer the engines to other nameplate manufacturers, such as the big diesel pickups from Dodge and Nissan that use Cummins power.

Freightliner currently has in excess of 40 percent share of the heavy-duty truck market. In the last few years, it has gained momentum in medium duty so it now has a comparable share. The availability of a Detroit engine in Freightliner mediums is a new opportunity to grow this business and also offer more Daimler content in the vehicles, Daum said.

The DD5 and DD8

In the Detroit in-plant display area, a cutaway show version of the DD5 revealed a two-stage turbocharged 4-cylinder with dual overhead camshafts. The latter are built-up cams like those used in the HDEP engines and the 4-cylinder also features gear-driven accessory drive. The Euro OM934 features a variable exhaust cam drive that will likely also be featured on the American DD5.

Following the theme ‘Made-in-Detroit,’ all presenters underscored the fact that Detroit is leading the charge in creating new jobs in the Motor City. Moreover, Daimler managers were adamant that production would stay in Redford and not be outsourced. Worth noting is that Redford produces all the connecting rods for HDEP engines worldwide, with production running three shifts and 3,024 connecting rods every day.