Torsus unveils versatile heavy-duty Terrastorm Chassis off-road truck

Czech Republic-headquartered Torsus, the manufacturer of the world's toughest, heavy-duty off-road buses has unveiled its latest product – the Terrastorm Chassis – which it claims is a versatile 4x4 all-terrain, flat-frame chassis. It can be used to carry cargo or converted into a truck with a Recovery Vehicle flatbed, Dropside or Tipper configuration.

The Terrastorm Chassis will be available to order January 1, 2022, with prices starting at 51,716 euros (Rs 42.75 lakh). The deliveries will commence in 2022 in both left-hand and right-hand drive formats.

The company says the 4x4 chassis is based on a Volkswagen Crafter/MAN TGE 4Motion chassis, features a Euro 6 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine in 130kW / 177 hp, mated to a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The Terrastorm Chassis is engineered and manufactured at Torsus’ production plant in Slovakia. The team behind the development applied its knowledge gained from producing the Praetorian and Terrastorm, the world’s first production off-road buses, to design a new ultra-tough 4x4 Terastorm Chassis flat-frame truck. It is configurable in both a single or double cab to transport people and cargo to some of the world’s most inhospitable places. Torsus says it is designed to deliver goods and supplies through unreachable forests or pathless sands.

Multiple applications
The Terrastorm Chassis is suitable for the following applications:
Mining sites: Ideal for repair and service teams who need to be mobile in mining areas. The Terrastorm Chassis can carry heavy equipment and people to outlying locations where heavy machinery may need to be maintained or repaired.

Agriculture: It can be used to carry feed stock, fertiliser and specialist equipment out to the fields. The Flatframe makes a versatile platform to build on specialist farming equipment and carry it over the roughest terrain.

Tourism: The bare chassis lends itself to converters looking to build an all-terrain recreational vehicles. A Terrastorm Chassis will safely carry the most creative of RV builds to remote corners of the world

Emergency relief: Terrastorm Chassis can also be used for rapid reaction all-terrain emergency services vehicles, be it for Fire Fighting in forested areas or delivering medication to rural communities. The fast reaction vehicle can get aid and support to where it’s most needed.

Recovery trucks: Thanks to the powerful winch and versatile flatbed, the Terrastorm Chassis can be the ultimate recovery truck, rescuing vehicles from sand dunes or swampy areas and towing broken down vehicles to be repaired.

Rigorously tested
As is the case with such products, Torsus says it has put the Terrastrom Chassis through its paces in testing. It has undergone a rigorous test program at multiple test facilities in and around Czech Republic and Slovakia, including the Tatra testing ground. This ensures the vehicle can withstand and handle beyond normal off-road usage whilst remaining usable and comfortable on road.

Vakhtang Dzhukashvili, founder and CEO, Torsus, said: “At Torsus, we engineer the ultimate all-terrain commercial vehicles for the mining, oil, farming, defence, emergency transportation and tourist industries. The Terrastorm Chassis sets new standards in the off-road commercial vehicle market. We have taken what we know from Praetorian and Terrastorm and translated it to a more versatile package, whilst the dependability and toughness remain. By working with customers and listening to feedback and hearing their problems, we find solutions to create the ultimate off-road platform for our customers to build whatever they need. Compromises are not acceptable for our clients, or for us.”

He added, “Terrastorm Chassis is a vehicle that will be at home in remote settings carrying vital medical supplies to rural communities in a refrigerated cargo box or hauling mining equipment to remote parts of the Chilian remote extraction sites. The bare chassis platform offers customers unlimited configurations, it offers complete versatility and the ability to serve multiple markets and industries.”

All-terrain workhorse
The Terrastorm Chassis is designed to be a versatile all-terrain workhorse with single or double cab options on each of the versions; with different Gross Vehicle Weight – 3.5t, 5t or 5.5t as well as variable lengths L3 (wheelbase: 3640mm; length: 5996mm) or L4 (wheelbase: 4490mm; length: 6846mm).

The all-wheel drive chassis is packed with durable technology to give it unrivalled off-road capability and sports a locking rear differential to give improved traction over rough terrain and unmade roads. It is configured with side aluminium steps, full bottom skid protection for the major components; engine, transmission and radiator, fuel tank, rear differential lock and a metal bull bar on the front in case you need additional protection. It comes with durable scratch resistant coating on the lower body panels as standard. The wheels have also seen an upgrade and the new matte black R17 alloy rims, shod with durable off-road lug tyres.

The Torsus bumper is designed to offer improved off-road capabilities with better approach angle. It hosts the LED high beam, DRLs, fog lights and spotlights as well as the integrated winch capable of towing up to 5,500kg (5.5 tonnes), which is hidden away only to be dispatched when needed. As part of the underside protection, the bespoke Duraluminium skid plates running from the engine and gearbox down to the rear differential and fuel tank protect the truck from being damaged in inhospitable conditions.

The off-road suspension has been upgraded to ensure optimum on and off-road capability. Up front, MacPherson struts and Bilstein B6 shock absorbers offer optimum comfort. With the increased ride height, Ironman 4x4 Adjustable Camber bolts are fitted to offer ± 1.75 degrees camber adjustment.
At the rear, the suspension is a combination of leaf springs equipped with Ironman 4x4 Load Plus and Profender Dakar shock absorbers with remote auxiliary reservoirs extended axle stroke. The combination of uprated off-road suspension and heavy-duty 17-inch BF Goodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 tyres gives the Terrastorm Chassis a ground clearance of 250mm, approach and departure angles of 26deg and 20deg.

Every Terrastorm Chassis comes with a snorkel with protective coating fitted as standard. This ensures clean, dust-free air and eliminates the chance of water ingress into the engine, giving 100% confidence when the vehicle is tackling the harshest terrain. Differential breathers are also fitted as standard. These enhance the flow of cool fresh air to differentials, transfer case and transmission, preventing water damage when wading through rivers and boggy terrain.
In addition, the all-new wider front fenders protect the vehicle from dirt and stones kicked up by the front wheels which can cause damage when traveling at speed off-road. Thanks to the protective coating the fenders can withstand the harshest terrain.

On the inside, the Terrastorm Chassis can accommodate a driver and from two to six passengers in high-comfort seats, depending on the variant of single or double cab, upholstered in fabric and equipped with three-point seatbelts.
Nikolas Uhrin, head – Engineering, Torsus said: “When producing the Terrastorm Chassis, we continuously monitored and assessed the all-terrain flatbed truck to create the best product we can; leading to multiple iterations of chassis designs until we have the optimum combination of rigidity, strength and weight to build the world’s most versatile truck.”

The Terrastorm Chassis is available in three versions - 70, 100 and 110 - with different lengths and seats capacity. Customers can purchase the vehicle in single cab (max 2+1) or double cab (max 6+1) and in medium (3640mm) or long wheelbase (4490mm), with Gross Vehicle Weight 3500 kg, 5000 kg or 5500kg. Each comes with automatic or manual transmission, 177hp (130kW) or 140hp (103kW) engine power and 410Nm or 340Nm of torque accordingly.