Braunstein PF160 (Andrew's Vehicle Index)/Lore

The Braunstein PF160 is a model line of medium-duty trucks produced by Braunstein Trucks since early 2003. The PF160 is a rebranded version of the Freightliner Business Class M2, with the only difference between the two being that the PF160 was only available as a Class 6 truck. The Braunstein PF160 also had a slightly different hood structure with a few added driver comforts and the option for a bespoke chassis. 
The PF160 was originally exclusive to Germany but Braunstein has since released the PF160 in Canada and the United States starting with the 2008 model year. Braunstein Trucks had previously offered a version of the Mercedes-Benz SK truck in both the US and Canada markets between 1991 and 1998, and earlier the Mercedes-Benz LK from 1987 to 1996. Its immediate successor was jointly developed by DaimlerChrysler and had used the cab of the Mercedes-Benz SK introduced in 1989 with addition of a bonnet to the European cab-over cab structure.
==Pickup Truck==
In 2012, Braunstein Trucks released a pickup truck variant of the PF160. The truck was primarily developed from the Freightliner Business Class M2 medium-duty truck range. Despite all being identical trucks at their core, the PF160 pickup was primarily intended to supplement sales of the standard version, as the latter was losing market share to the Freightliner M2. Previous vehicles of the same scale had been aftermarket conversions of International 4000 series and Freightliner Business Class medium-duty trucks. However, this one was unique in that it was so far the first pickup truck of this size to be produced by Braunstein and the only one to be produced entirely by Freightliner, albeit indirectly.
Since Daimler AG acquired Braunstein Trucks in 1987, the truck was developed by the Freightliner division and was marketed solely by Braunstein, with no Freightliner equivalent. Braunstein marketed the truck towards both business and recreational owners who sought a towing vehicle with commercial-grade capability. Braunstein soon discontinued the regular PF160 in 2014 in favor of producing the pickup truck version. A second generation was eventually introduced in late 2022 which adopted features from the M2 Plus in an attempt to bolster sales. It however, was little more than a facelift with drastic changes to the truck's underpinnings.
While the exterior of the second generation PF160 remains similar to the first generation, it now uses the chassis of the second-generation M2 Plus as opposed to sourcing it's chassis from the original M2. It also got similar changes such as having the headlight lenses restyled, the hood vent enlarged, and the grille adopting the slatted style of the Freightliner Cascadia.
Additionally, this generation saw the introduction of a custom pickup truck bed instead of using a dual rear wheel bed from the second generation Dodge Ram. On the other hand, the taillights were taken from the Ram ProMaster.
The interior of the PF160 was only redesigned partially, mostly remaining the same as the previous generation M2 with the exception of the steering wheel and instrument panel. The new steering wheel and instrument cluster was sourced from the third generation Braunstein VC270, with the instrument cluster having the same integrated digital screen. The second generation PF160 also adopted a number of safety systems from the Freightliner M2 Plus, such as active brake assistance and lane departure warnings; side guard assistance and adaptive cruise control are also optional.
Category:Andrew's Vehicle Index