Mack Trucks has re-entered the "Baby 8" market with a medium-heavy duty version of its Granite vocational model. The Granite MHD is aimed at municipalities and other customers who don't need a large-bore engine or high gross-weight capabilities.

Granite MHD is available in axle-forward and axle-back configurations, is powered by a Cummins ISL9 diesel, and is offered with Eaton manual or Allison automatic transmissions.

Mack also announced that a 36-inch flat-top sleeper is available on Granites. The sleeper has a 30- by 80-inch mattress, curtain, bunk restraint, under-bunk storage, cup holder, and rear and side window options.

An enhanced interior for the Granite and the Titan extra-heavy series include a new headliner console, optional one-piece windshield, and updated Champion Level trim package with button-tuck vinyl and ultra-leather seats. This improves comfort and styling for drivers at no extra charge over the previous Champion package.

A cab-mounted exhaust-stack option is available in all Granite models, which clears the back-of-cab area to ease mounting of close-coupled bodies.

Several years ago Mack offered the 8.9-liter ISL in a Granite lightweight mixer model aimed primarily at California, but dropped it and the Cummins option when it switched to its MP series engines.

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