TORSUS, maker of the world’s toughest off-road buses, has today unveiled a new model designed and engineered to support cargo operations across the harshest and most challenging conditions on the planet – the TERRASTORM Crane. Combining uncompromising off-road ability with fully integrated heavy-duty crane systems, the TERRASTORM Crane sets a new benchmark for safe, efficient and reliable cargo handling.
The TORSUS TERRASTORM Crane leverages the full capabilities of its combined VW Crafter/MAN TGE 4Motion chassis and TORSUS 4×4 Heavy Duty drivetrain system, which features a low-range transfer case, all locking differentials, and raised suspension underpinnings. This uncompromising technological approach delivers supreme adaptability and agility, and empowers the new TORSUS TERRASTORM Crane to open an entirely new field of cargo handling operations that is not accessible to conventional pickup- and heavy truck-mounted cranes.
Pickups often lack sufficient capacity or versatility, while heavy trucks are bulky and difficult to manoeuvre in tight areas and require a special driving license. By contrast, the TERRASTORM is light, agile, powerful, and easily configurable for specialised jobs, bringing a radical new solution to the market.
“TORSUS was born to follow in the wheel tracks of no one, and we have consistently proved that with our flagship PRAETORIAN and TERRASTORM off-road bus models, which go further and offer customers more than any rivals on the planet. Our new TORSUS TERRASTORM Crane vehicle is forged from the same ultra-tough off-road technology and no-compromise approach that underpins all our vehicles,” explains TORSUS Co-Founder and CEO, Vakhtang Dzhukashvili.
“At TORSUS, we never enter a market just to offer customers more choice. We only enter a market if we are one hundred per cent confident that we can offer customers a better choice – and the new TORSUS TERRASTORM Crane is precisely that. It is superior to any other truck- or van-mounted crane on the market. With exceptional agility and adaptability and unmatched performance across challenging terrain, the new TORSUS TERRASTORM Crane exceeds the capabilities and goes further than any rival product. It enables customers to execute hardcore cargo loading, carrying, and unloading duties in situations and terrains that they were simply not able to operate in before.”
Two options – Van with Internal Crane and Chassis with External Hydraulic Crane
TORSUS offers the TERRASTORM Crane in two configurations; as a Van with an Internal Crane, and as a Chassis with an External Hydraulic Crane. Crucially, TORSUS’ engineers have designed both crane systems as integral parts of the TERRASTORM platform – not add-ons – for optimum stability, efficiency and safety.
By integrating the crane systems directly into the platform, TORSUS has transformed complex cargo handling into simple one-person operations. Loads that would normally require two people can be managed by a single operator, boosting efficiency, reducing risk of injury, and cutting long-term operating costs. With straightforward controls, no specialist training or specialist license is needed – making the TERRASTORM Crane a cost-effective solution for organisations where productivity and workforce safety are paramount.
For the van derivative, TORSUS created a special mounting frame, designed to fit close to the side walls and roof structure. This ensures maximum cargo space remains available while still delivering robust lifting capability. The crane can also slide sideways to improve access during loading and unloading.
For the chassis variant, the crane is integrated into a reinforced frame structure connected to the flatbed with damping springs on fixation bolts. This unique solution absorbs shocks and vibrations on uneven roads, protecting both the crane system and the vehicle’s structure, extending service life even under heavy-duty use.
The TERRASTORM Van with Integral Crane boasts a 500 kg crane with a 2.3 m beam while preserving the van’s full 15 m³ cargo space. Safe, efficient, and fully weather-protected, it is ideally suited to delicate, security-sensitive, or high-value loads. The crane slides sideways to provide optimum access when loading and unloading.
The TERRASTORM Chassis with External Crane is designed, engineered, and built for effortless management of oversized and heavy cargo. This vehicle integrates a hydraulic crane with a 5.2 m outreach, providing a 21.6 kNm lifting moment to ensure a 720 kg lift at 3 meters. The 3-meter flatbed platform provides the versatility demanded for construction sites, remote operations, and rugged supply chains.
Optimum off-road performance without compromise
At the core of the TERRASTORM Crane is the exclusive TORSUS 4×4 Heavy Duty system, a purpose-built drivetrain for uncompromising performance in extreme environments. This advanced system integrates a low-range transfer case and all locking differentials, enabling the vehicle to deliver exceptional torque and control across steep gradients, deep mud, loose sand, or snow-covered tracks. Unlike conventional setups, the TORSUS system is engineered from the ground up for maximum strength, endurance, and traction in the most demanding conditions.
Off-road performance is further elevated through a comprehensive redesign of the suspension and body structure. An 80 mm body lift increases suspension articulation and accommodates larger off-road wheels for enhanced traction and impact absorption. Complementing this, the 60 mm suspension lift boosts ground clearance and stability across uneven terrain. Together, these enhancements transform the TERRASTORM Crane into a high-capability platform engineered to operate under load in the harshest off-road environments.
A suite of protective systems ensures durability and reliability in the field. The lower body and wheel arches are finished with rugged coatings to resist stone chips, debris, and corrosion, while full underbody armour safeguards key components – including the transmission, tanks, and filters. A snorkel system and drivetrain breathers maintain clean airflow and prevent water or dust ingress, allowing confident fording through up to 520 mm of water.
The result is a vehicle engineered not just to transport heavy payloads, but to do so with uncompromised performance, strength, and control across terrain where ordinary trucks and vans fail.
Designed to serve a broad range of global industries
The TERRASTORM Crane is engineered to excel where conventional vehicles fail. Its applications are broad and critical: from managing off-road material handling on construction and infrastructure projects to providing the versatile transport needed in agriculture and forestry.
The Crane also delivers the rugged capability required by the mining and energy sectors to move heavy equipment across remote terrain, and it offers the reliable mobility that is often crucial for rescue and emergency services responding to incidents.
“In Ukraine, we have a proverb, ‘If you are afraid of wolves, don’t go to the forest,’’’ explains Dzhukashvili. “Both TERRASTORM Cranes are built for those who go anyway, either into forests, deserts, mountains and remote regions where the job can’t wait for better conditions or better roads.”
“By integrating crane systems directly into our heavy-duty 4×4 van platform, we give operators the power to load, lift, and transport safely and efficiently, anywhere on earth. It means one vehicle, one operator, and zero compromise. Wherever the job is too tough for pickups and too demanding for heavy trucks, TERRASTORM Crane is ready.”
Worldwide Service, Support and Customisation
Every TERRASTORM Crane is supported by the worldwide MAN and Volkswagen dealer network, providing full warranty coverage and comprehensive aftersales support to guarantee service and parts availability wherever customers operate. Engineered for durability, it embodies the uncompromising quality and standards of TORSUS design.
Crucially, TORSUS delivers complete flexibility in both design and execution. Each vehicle can be customised to meet specific customer needs, from drivetrain configurations to interior layouts and specialised equipment.
Production and Pricing
TORSUS has production facilities in Slovakia and Ukraine, and production of the TERRASTORM Crane has already commenced, with vehicles available in both Van and Chassis configurations. Each TERRASTORM Crane is custom-built for each client and can be configured to meet all individual requirements. Pricing for the base TERRASTORM chassis model without crane starts from 90,000 EUR, depending on configuration.