Mercedes' new Actros driveline, and the next Grand Empire
On 13 September 2026, at IAA Transportation, Mercedes-Benz Trucks announced a new driveline generation it calls Powerliner, with up to four percent lower fuel consumption, reaching the Actros from April 2027. The Morelo Grand Empire is built on the Actros, so this is the technical backdrop for its next generation.
↵What Mercedes announced
Powerliner is a new generation of the whole driveline, with engine, transmission and axles matched as one system, rather than a single new engine. Two further-developed engines sit at its core: the OM 470 for heavy distribution work and the OM 471 for long-haul and heavy duty. Mercedes states up to four percent lower fuel consumption against a comparably equipped predecessor (an Actros L 4x2 LS Typ 1850 with the new generation, versus a Typ 1851 with the third-generation OM 471). It is designed for Euro VIe, prepared for the coming Euro 7, and certified for CO2-neutral EN 15940 XtL fuel such as HVO. Introduction is from April 2027.
↵More torque, lower revs
The OM 471, the engine family relevant to the heavy Actros the Grand Empire rides on, now comes in four levels, from 421 PS up to a new top level of 550 PS (400 kW), with torque from 2,200 up to 2,800 Nm. The design leans on downspeeding: peak torque arrives at 1,100 rpm, so the engine pulls hard at low revs. On a heavy liner that means quieter, more relaxed cruising, and part of the fuel saving. A new injection system, in-house turbochargers, an optimized oil circuit and longer rear-axle ratios do the rest.
↵Why it matters for the Grand Empire
The Grand Empire is Morelo's flagship on the Mercedes-Benz Actros; the current build uses the Actros 1840 L. A more efficient Actros driveline from April 2027 is exactly the kind of change that defines a next model generation: up to four percent less diesel on a vehicle that burns a lot over long distances, more torque headroom for a heavy liner, quieter downspeeding, and a certified path to CO2-neutral HVO. If the flagship moves to the new generation, this is what it stands to inherit.
Read with care
This is a truck announcement, not a motorhome one. Morelo has not stated that the Grand Empire will take this exact driveline, or when, and a motorhome uses a specific Actros variant that will not necessarily carry the 550 PS top level. Treat it as the platform's direction, not a confirmed Grand Empire specification. The binding answer comes from Morelo.
↵What it means if you are buying
If you are weighing a Grand Empire now against waiting, the driveline generation is one more input alongside price and delivery time. A build from the 2027 model year on could inherit the newer, more efficient engine; whether that is worth waiting for depends on how Morelo phases it and on the six to twelve month lead time for a new order. It is one reason the timing of a flagship purchase deserves a conversation rather than a reflex.
Based on the Daimler Truck AG press release of 13 September 2026. Engine figures and the fuel-saving comparison are Mercedes-Benz Trucks' own. The chassis reference for the Grand Empire follows Morelo's current specification. CamperInvest is not affiliated with or endorsed by Mercedes-Benz Trucks or Morelo.
Source: Daimler Truck press release, 13 September 2026. Image © Daimler Truck AG.
Thinking about a Grand Empire, now or the next generation?
We can walk the trade-off between buying now and waiting for the new driveline, against delivery time and how you will actually use the vehicle.