I’ve always been a fan of the Mack Anthem.

Not to disparage any Mack models that came before it, of course. But the Anthem – to my eye – has always had a bold, two-fisted, styling to it that was a perfect, modern distillation of Mack’s long history and heritage.

So, I wasn’t surprised in 2020 when the Mack MD, medium-duty straight truck appeared. Who wouldn’t want to take advantage of the Anthem’s good looks and create a sense of styling unity with a new medium-duty truck?

Well now, Mack is taking that familial styling one step further. The OEM has announced a “significant” refresh of the MD Series diesel and electric medium-duty trucks. And those enhancements are centered on incorporating the Anthem cab, along with its driver ergonomic enhancements, into the MD design.

All in the Family 

Tim Wrinkle, senior product manager vocational and medium duty, noted that the new cab sets the MD apart from its first-generation model with a larger cab.

“From the outside, we really wanted to keep the MD’s look in the Mack family,” Wrinkle said. “Our customers recognize Anthem as a premium truck. And if they have Class 8 trucks, they like that look to come down to their medium duty trucks as well.”

But he added, the North American medium-duty market has evolved to the point that driver comfort is a big a selling point for fleets as it is in the heavy-duty truck market.

“This new MD is all about driver comfort,” Wrinkle said, during HDT’s exclusive U.S. briefing on upgraded truck, at Mack headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. “The Class 8 Anthem, and the Class 6 and Class 7 MD now the same cab interior and exterior.”

There are always caveats and tradeoffs in truck design, though. And Wrinkle added that inside the MD, the doghouse is a “bit” bigger, and there are some minor differences in the dash layouts.

“We already had our popular flat bottom steering wheel in the MD,” Wrinkle added. “But we brought over the Anthem controls. So those are now standard on every medium duty Mack truck.”

New steering wheel controls for cruise control, telephone and audio functions have also migrated down from Anthem, Wrinkle added. And these help increase driver convenience and safety.

And that’s not all. The Mack MD now also features the same tilt-telescopic steering wheel, power windows and locks, and overhead storage that Anthem has. And that is on top of MD’s air-suspension cab and a standard air ride seat for the driver.

MD interior trim appointments now feature two-tone back and gray, or madura vinyl upholstery. Also new are adjustable seat belts on the B pillar and LED interior lighting.

The truck now also comes come standard with several enhanced safety features including new ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) with ATC (Automatic Traction Control), radio mute in reverse and a park brake alarm.

“And all of this is really important,” Wrinkle added. “Medium-duty fleets today are very focused on amenities and driver comfort.”

Cab Benefits Inside and Out

The Mack MD Series is available with diesel or electric drivetrain options in the MD6, a Class 6 model with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 25,995 pounds, and the MD7, a Class 7 model with a GVWR of 33,000 pounds.

Both models are exempt from the 12% Federal Excise Tax (FET).

“The Mack MD features the Cummins B6.7, if you’re opting for diesel power,” Wrinkle said. “And that’s mated with various Allison transmissions and Meritor front and rear axles. And that’s about as bulletproof a medium-duty design as you’ll find anywhere, today.”

What makes the MD a bit different, in Wrinkle’s opinion, is that Mack uses 110 KSI frame rails Class 6 versions of the truck, and 120 KSI frame rails on the Class 7 models.

The 120 KSI rails are the same we use on Mack Class 8 trucks,” Wrinkle noted. “So, we’ve got pretty stout rails on our truck.”

The MD Series also features a new, clean and clear back of carb design, including a large rear window and the iconic Mack “peep-down” door windows. 

“The new MD features 107-inch BBC, compared to 103 inches on the first-generation model” Wrinkle added. “That is a major improvement in terms of driver comfort. Just to give you an idea of that that means, it’s an interior cab volume of 200 extra liters compared to the previous MD. And you really feel it when you’re inside the cab. Because those 200 extra liters are in the right place to maximize both driver and passenger comfort.”

These key updates, Wrinkle said, all come without raising the MD’s price. And they also help improve ease of installation for body builders. Other enhancements include pre-wired body builder connections, relocated air dryer and updated wheelbases to industry-standard Cab to Axle (CA) dimensions, which Wrinkle said make the updated MD Series easier to install an even wider array of body installations than before.

“We wanted the MD to be premium truck,” Wrinkle added. “And part of that was keeping things simple both at the factory and in terms of spec’ing. This new truck has a long list of standard features that you might not find at all on competitive medium-duty trucks.”