We take the brand-new, right-hand drive Renault Range T High out on the road to see how it stacks up for British operators looking for a big-cabbed flagship.

Renault launched its Range T heavy trucks in June 2013 to replace the Premium as the ‘do it all’ tractor unit. It was, let’s be honest here, a no-frills fleet motor; one which would appeal to fleets, yet not be disliked by drivers. At the same launch, it also unveiled the Range T High which was effectively a replacement for the ‘love-it-or-hate-it’ Magnum.

The massive cab offered a flat floor which the Magnum had pioneered in 1990 and has since been copied by just about every other manufacturer, often with a better result. By the time it ended production, the Magnum was definitely somewhat dated.

But there was a catch with the Range T High. The new big cab was only available in left-hand drive only. Renault claimed this was because it felt there “wasn’t the demand” for it, although it was widely accepted among industry commentators that the real reason was parent group Volvo did not want the threat of losing sales of its FH Globetrotter XL to Range T Highs.

That did not stop a few operators buying LHD versions for the prestige, and you only have to travel on a major UK road to see plenty of the trucks from mainland Europe; Portuguese operator Patinter is certainly keen on them. 

However, last year Renault relented and finally agreed it would now start to offer the Range T High in right-hand drive form for the UK and Irish markets. And for the trade press, the arrival of the first demonstrators and press fleet trucks has been widely anticipated.

The first right-hand drive Range T High in the Renault press fleet is now available for evaluation, and Trucking was quick to jump at the chance to get behind the wheel of the new flagship.

The truck

The model under scrutiny is the T480 version with the 480 bhp version of the 12.8-litre straight-six Euro 6 DTi engine, but you can order it at 440 bhp or 520 bhp. The 10.8-litre engine is not an option with this cab, nor sadly is the 16-litre.

The middle power output gives 2400 Nm of torque – the 440 bhp offers 2200 Nm while the biggest output is 2550 Nm, which suggests the 480 bhp is a perfect tool for 44-tonne work in the UK and Europe. The gearbox is a 12-speed automatic – there is no manual option – and the rear drive axle is 1:2.64.

The test truck was a 6×2 with a centre mid-lift pusher axle, but you can specify it as a 4×2, 6×2 rear tag axle or a 6×4 tractors – the latter for heavy haulage and landfill applications. 4×2 and 6×2 versions for drawbar use are also available. Wheelbase options on the tractors are 3700 and 3800 mm for 4×2, 3900 and 4100 for the midlift and 3200, 3400 and 3700 for tag-axle options. 

The front suspension is a choice of leaf or air with front axles of 7.1, 7.5 and eight tonnes. Front and rear disc brakes are standard.

The cab was specified with twin bunks, but the top bank can be omitted and more storage boxed fitted to the ceiling instead. The unladen weight of the unit was 8800 kg, which for a 6×2 tractor with a large cab is very credible indeed and a quarter of a tonne lighter than a Scania S450, which is a direct rival.

The cab

The most relevant part of this test is, of course, the cab. Like so many press fleet trucks, all the option boxes have been ticked, so we were able to benefit from heater leather seats (I have to admit, I prefer cloth seats) and a host of other gadgets.

The big cab requires four steps to gain entry, like the Mercedes-Benz Actros Gigaspace. This means getting into the cab with luggage is a challenge, but the assumption is these trucks will be loaded up at the start of the week with equipment and provisions, and probably not unloaded until the end of the week or even fortnight. So drivers have to accept that trade-off – more room in the cab means more hassle getting stuff into the cab. Also, getting in an out of the cab during the day is anticipated to be less frequent on a long-haul truck. 

The cab space inside is excellent – well thought-out and well-appointed. There is plenty of room for storage to place your week’s necessities. If we had a criticism, we found the floor a bit too slippery to walk on, but that’s easily addressable.

Such is the complexity of modern trucks that manufacturers offer handover training, and this is especially important here. With the Renault, for example, some of the buttons for the cruise control are not where you might expect them; they are actually located under the steering wheel arm, which is actually quite a sensible idea.

The stalk for the three-stage exhaust brake at first looks a bit flimsy, but actually it’s very easy to use and you soon actually appreciate its design and positioning. It’s clearly visible and will make you use it more than the footbrake.

On the road

Pulling a Krone tri-axle trailer and loaded to 44 tonnes, our route was from Warwick to Alcester and then up to the M42, M6 and A46, which gave a good feel for the truck with a mix of all types of road and some hills (albeit maybe not the most challenging of hills).

Despite having 480 bhp on tap, we were pleasantly surprised how well the truck pulled. If optimum power is 10 bhp per tonne, a 480 bhp engine is something of a luxury at 11 bhp per tonne; but we’ve driven some recent trucks with more power – a lot more power in some cases – which seem to labour more than this Range T. It certainly made us question why people could need over 500 bhp, let alone 600-750 bhp!

On the hills, yes, the truck obviously slows down, but a lot of that was actually due to the road and the traffic – parked cars and bends both being reasons to slow down. But on the hillier sections of the motorway, the T480 romped up inclines with no issues at all.

The steering was first rate, the truck handled superbly and the forward and rearward vision is very good indeed. Just a word of warning: you sit so high, you can approach a bridge and think ‘whoa, that looks low’ when in fact it’s not – you are just high! Magnum drivers will love it.

Verdict

We were very pleasantly surprised by this truck. This is a well-built vehicle and it handled and performed very well indeed. Many people could have their pre-conceptions about the Renault brand truly busted by this vehicle. Of course, the real proof will be when you have operated or driven a Range T High for six, 12 or 24 months. But even here, we don’t expect too many complaints and generally the praise we hear about Range Ts is very positive indeed. The High cab offers the driver a superb living area – obviously a lot of this benefit will depend on how drivers or operators specify the vehicle, but we challenge any driver on long-haul work not to be appreciative of the internal living space.

Lists prices are academic, but Renaults are known for being much cheaper than their Swedish and German counterparts. That means you get a heck of a lot of truck for you dosh in this case. Residuals on the Range Ts are also better than the Premiums and Magnums. Orders are now being taken, and we’re sure the T520 will be popular among small fleets, owner-drivers and firms which cross the Continent. This truck – especially the T520 – is up against some excellent vehicles in a very congested market. But if you are about to rush out and buy any flagship vehicle and have not given the Range T High the once-over, then more fool you. You could well be pleasantly surprised.

The latest DAFs have a huge range of upgrades and improvements, including an all-new transmission. Here’s the lowdown – and our first impressions.

DAF launched their new range of XF and CF trucks at the CV Show back in April. Described as a “new generation” the new models promised a 7% fuel saving over the outgoing models, and class-leading efficiency. The initial press releases on social media explained the many changes and improvements, but this seemingly went straight over the head of a lot of people who said “but that looks just like the old model”. Well, yes they do. But under the skin these trucks are very different. Euro 6 has been with us for almost four years now, and no truck manufacturer can afford to stand still. DAF has been busy; this isn’t just a nip and tuck job. Think of it as Euro 6.5 if you like.

The engines have been heavily revised, the engine brake has been improved on the MX13, there’s all new Traxon tranmissions, new rear axles, new software, various aerodynamic improvements and new interior options. 

Trucking had the opportunity to travel to Holland for a series of short test drives, talk to DAF’s technical team and attend a presentation explaining the changes to the new trucks. Here’s a run-down of what’s been done, and our first impression of the trucks.

ENGINES

Both the 11 and 13-litre MX engines have been extensively reworked. As you can see from the chart, the BHP outputs of each engine have been raised, which is the figure most likely to grab the headlines. However, DAF were keen to point out that their focus is on efficiency, not outright power. In pursuit of fuel savings the engines have been redesigned to deliver more torque at lower speeds, matched to  a new set of gear ratios. The drivetrain is now set to work at lower revs than before. The new range-topping MX-13 is capable of supplying a substantial 2600nm torque at just 1000rpm. DAF state that the 480bhp version is their “sweet spot” for maximum fuel efficiency on the MX-13. Don’t get your hopes up for a storming 560-ish version at any point though – there’s no doubt the engine could do it, but it goes against the efficency ethos.

• Increased compression ratio from 17.5 to 18.5
• New pistons and injector nozzles designed to work “hand in hand”
• New piston ring and liner combination
• More efficient EGR system, operating from one manifold branch only
• 40% smaller exhaust, 50kg weight saving
• Variable ratio PAS, A/C, coolant and oil pumps
• MX-13 has a new turbocharger and new camshaft
• MX-13 has new, more powerful single-valve engine brake

TRANSMISSIONS

With the new engines capable of producing peak torque at lower revs, the next step was to come up with a transmission matched to these low-rev characteristics. For the first time, ZF’s TraXon gearbox is now fitted as standard. DAF had stuck with the ASTronic initially due to concerns over the TraXon’s extra weight, but the latest versions match the old ones. A 16-speed manual is still available as an option. Sadly the 12-speed Eco-split has been discontinued. The TraXon offers 12-speeds as standard, with 16 as an option, along with direct-drive or over-drive ratios. The rear differential is of a completely new design, using new gears, bearings, lower viscosity oil and less of it.

The new ratios mean that cruising at 85kmh in top gear, the engine will be revving at just 1000-1040rpm – a huge change from the outgoing models. There’s a range of new software maps for the gearbox, depending on what work a truck will be doing such as liquid transport, heavy haulage and refuse collection. Eco-mode is retained; press the stalk button once and the gearbox will change to Eco-performance, a more lively shift strategy. Press it twice and you get manual mode, with the system returning to Eco-mode when it deems conditions suitable. DAF say that it’s important operators have a discussion with the dealer to decide on the set up is best for their application.

SOFTWARE

Electronics have been completely redesigned, with a new vehicle ECU which is described as “the director of the orchestra”. More and more focus is being placed on the importance of software in getting the best from the powertrain. We’ve already mentioned the transmission; complimenting that the Eco-roll function has been improved and the truck should now be able to roll more often and can even activate while going uphill, there’s a tyre-pressure monitoring system too. Predictive cruise control has been tweaked so it can see further ahead. Dynamic cruise control is also a feature, which uses “mild torque build up at the start of a climb”.

INTERIOR

The interior of both the CF and XF continue to retain the same architecture but there’s improvements over the earlier Euro 6 models. The quality of plastics and trim appears to be first-class; there’s a new Exclusive-line trim level too, with “cognac” dash and leather. The switchgear, instrument panel and heater controls have all been improved. The night-heater is now fully integrated into the HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system. Cruise control functions can now all be operated from the steering wheel, and there’s an improved driver information display on the dash.

AERODYNAMICS

One of the DAF engineers made the point that when it comes to aerodynamic savings, “all the low hanging fruit has gone”. In the past, engineers perhaps wouldn’t have pursued tweaks which offer only small fuel savings, but today, even the smallest fraction of a percentage is considered important. While they may look very similar to the old Euro 6 models, there’s actually been quite a few changes; a new sunvisor, part-sealed grille, radiator wind deflectors and extended wheel arches all play their part. Plus there’s a splash of aluminium trim on the front, just because it looks good!

On the road: XF MX-11 450

The 11-litre engine is popular with big fleets such as Tesco and Royal Mail. It’s also used by companies looking to maximise payload at 44-tonnes, but at that weight it tends to be a tad breathless especially with the current Eco-mode. It’s rare to find a MX-11 powered XF with the engine; it’s almost always found specced with the CF cab, which is again favoured by those running big fleets and looking for payload.

This was the first truck I took out. It had been three years since I’d driven a left-hand drive truck, and even that was only an 18-tonner. So I spent most of the 40 minute test drive just trying to get to grips with the steering wheel being on the opposite side. If I was on my driving test, I’d have failed it….I’m saying no more! My apologies to the nice man from DAF who had to sit beside me.

One thing that was immediately noticable was just how much the gear patterns have changed. It feels like the truck is barely revving at all on the flat, and with the engine being so quiet (in part due to the lack of revs) it’s initially a bit disconcerting. 

The XF was freighted at 36-tonnes which is just right for this sort of output. My DAF co-driver pointed out how to set the predictive cruise control so we didn’t drop too much speed on the hills. At one point we must have rolled for about two miles without touching the throttle at 50mph or so.

On the road: XF MX-13 480

Having got familiarised on the first XF, I took out a 480bhp version, hauling a low-loader with plant equipment on it. The 480 is going to be the big fleet seller. In recent times I’ve seen more and more 510s on the road, and I wonder if some of the operators who’ve been speccing them, may now go for the 480.

Feeling more comfortable, I took note of the excellent job DAF have done in facelifting the interior. Certain cruise control functions previously had to be accessed via the control knob on the dash, now everything is done via the steering wheel. The driver info display was good anyway, and now it’s even better. The coaching mode which rates you on your eco-driving has been tweaked a bit too.

I experimented with the gearbox modes a bit more. In the standard Eco-mode, it’s like no truck I’ve ever driven. The longer gearing makes it feel like the engine is rarely ever getting much above idle, but it does pick up speed on the flat. On gradients, the gearbox is unlikely to downshift, instead using the engine’s huge reserves of low-down torque to hold a higher gear. Which it does, but at the expense of acceleration. If you want to have a run at a hill or you need to get up a slip road to match the speed of traffic, you’ll need to knock it into Eco-performance mode. Boom! Suddenly the new TraXon transmission comes to life; the gearbox kicks down immediately, and off we go. 

DAF say that for maximum efficiency, they always recommend Eco-mode but I have reservations that in the real world, in the cut-and-thrust environment of UK traffic, a driver is going to be hitting that button for performance mode an awful lot. As standard, the gearbox will look to revert back to Eco-mode after one minute, but it can be programmed by the dealer for other time increments, or switched off altogether, meaning the driver is free to choose Eco, Performance or manual.

On the road: CF MX-13 480

The CF chosen for test was specced with the Exclusive-line trim. It’s likely to split opinion, but I like the cognac trim, it’s a nice change from the usual blacks, greys and beiges you usually see in trucks. I enjoyed driving the CF the best. I’ve always been a fan of the low driving position and visibility, and the latest version of the familiar dash is excellent. It may primarily be a fleet workhorse, but a CF can be every bit as plush as an XF.

There was a fair weight in that container, so the engine had to work. On the road, I was now happy enough to let the gearbox do the work on the flat. As soon as a hill appeared though, I’d have to knock it out Eco-mode or it’d simply lug along at low revs without much acceleration. I also had a play with manual mode and soon had the truck on the limiter, foot flat on the floor (not the way you’re supposed to drive them). 

My co-driver was keen to point out the torque capabilities of the engine. As we were heavily freighted I’d felt the need to give it a bit of stick going up onto a motorway. But he pointed out how to set the predictive cruise control and on the next hill it let the truck do its stuff. We lost a bit of speed on the climb – which was to be expected. Now normally, I’d pre-emptively be dropping the truck down a gear but instead we let it lug way down low in the rev range. There were veins popping in my forehead, perspiration appearing as habit implored me to change to 11^th. It didn’t need it. At little above idle speed, climbing a hill, the CF held at 50mph. The engine was damn near silent – it was quite a strange experience. Fair play to those DAF engineers, there really is a a huge reserve of torque very low down in the rev range. I reckon the previous Eco-mode 460 would have been down to 40mph in the same scenario. Effective, but will take some getting used to.

On the road: XF MX-13 530

The last truck I drove was also the most powerful. This Superspace 6×2 was coupled up to a tanker, freighted to dead on 40-tonnes. There may be a bit more engine noise from the 530bhp version, which isn’t a bad thing. With 2600nm of torque at 1000rpm it ambles away happily and the rev counter barely ever seems to move. It was only a short test drive, but it looks like it’ll comfortably outperform the outgoing 510.

The MX engine brake needs mentioned too; it’s excellent. On long downhill sections of road you’ll never need to touch the brake pedal, and there’s good news for the UK market as it’s expected that the engine brake is going to be rolled out as standard too. The only minus point is that on stage 3, full power, the gearbox wants to aggressively downshift and it’s not necessary. The vast majority of the time, the driver will want the full power of the engine brake, but without a downshift, or just one gear, it will often launch down two or three ratios to 2000rpm – which will bring the truck to a halt if you let it, but it’s not really useable in the real world. I ended up using stage 2 most of the time.

VERDICT

DAF have thrown all their weight behind a drive for all-out efficiency. The work they’ve done with the powertrain and driveline is very impressive. Their engineers are convinced the down-speeding strategy will provide class-leading fuel economy. It’ll be interesting to see how the new models measure up on the UK’s diverse road network, and how drivers take to the low-rev characterisitics of the new engines. We’re looking forward to getting a proper working test of a right-hand drive model.

More information: http://www.daf.co.uk

We put three of Scania’s Next Gen trucks through their paces in the frozen wilds of Norway to see how they perform in ‘proper’ tough wintry conditions.

While some parts of Britain are battling against wintry weather in early 2018, spare a thought for Norway’s truckers. With temperatures south of -10 degrees C and many metres of snow falling over the cold season, the nation’s commercial vehicles and their drivers have an arduous task.

To get some idea of what it’s like to operate in such a tough environment, Scania recently took us to the bleakly beautiful Norwegian town of Trysil to take a range of its most recent truck models out for a good old ‘play’ in the snow. The trucks were kitted out with snow tyres and were carrying snow chains as is required by Norwegian law this time of year, but other than that they were pretty standard spec – and we were certainly interested to see how they would perform.

Two days before our test, the weather was -1 or -2 degrees C and raining, which meant the roads were particularly icy. As we crunched our way across the yard to the test trucks, the day had settled at -4 degrees C and heavy snow overnight meant the slippery roads were now also covered in a blanket of the white stuff. Before we set out, we were warned that traction could well prove a problem because even though the ambient temperature was cold, it wasn’t cold enough to keep the snow frozen hard, which would have made for easier running.

G500 8×4

The first truck we tried out was a 8×4 G-series XT tipper with drawbar trailer. It was spec’d with a Low Sleeper cab and 13-litre, 500 bhp V8 which produces a max torque of 2550 Nm at 1000-1300 rpm.

The new G-series was launched in June last year and includes five basic configurations: G-sleeper Low, G-sleeper Normal, G-sleeper Highline, G-short and G-day cabs. Since the cabs are now sitting slightly lower, Scania has been able to increased internal measurements to allow for some additional headroom. Normal cab height has been increased by 10 cm, while Highline versions are boosted by 16 cm over previous models.

Each cab variant can be specified with powertrains ranging from 280-360 bhp 9-litre, five-cylinder engines to 13-litre, six-cylinder lumps rated from 370-500 bhp.

Also on offer on G-series is Scania’s newly improved Opticruise automated transmission with layshaft brake, which gives quicker, smoother gear changes. It also reduces the time required to engage reverse and crawler gears, and PTOs if fitted.

Like R-, S- and P-series, G-series’ driving seat has been moved to increase visibility. The driving position has be shifted slightly forwards, which combined with a lower dashboard, windowsills and revised A-pillars means we could get a good view of our stunning winter surroundings.

Our test truck was hitched to a two-axle drawbar trailer and we were grossing 50 tonnes with a load of rocks and gravel. It’s a typical truck for tough driving conditions, so it should behave well on this trip.

Easing out of the demo yard onto the main two-lane highway that leads down a long hill to a bridge spanning the frozen river at Trysil, we kept the retarder off and relied on service brakes to keep our speed to a steady 50 kmh. We were advised to keep the diff lock set to stage one all the time in these conditions to help ensure grip on the ice, but we didn’t notice any adverse affects on the truck’s steering.

With no drama on our descent, we took the right filter off the highway to cross the bridge to a roundabout on the far bank. Here, we did a 180 and headed back across the river, where we then made a left-turn at the base of the hill to start the long climb back up.

From a standing start on ice, the G500 pulled away well (though we did feel a bit of wheelspin) and the smooth 12-speed Opticruise brought us back up to speed. We could feel the heavier weight on our climb – with our foot flat on the floor, the G500 settled in at about 35 kmh in ninth gear in Standard mode.

About two thirds of the way up the slope, we took a sharp right and headed into the trees for a spot of scenic rural sightseeing. The going was much tougher here; snow was piled high and it was difficult to tell where the twisting road was leading. To help us solider on, we flicked Opticruise to Power mode to enable gears to be held longer and at higher rpm. The snow was soft so we had to be careful to not sink our tyres into the verge as we twisted and turned through the trees, before joining an even narrower track that would lead us back to the main highway.

After a good start, things went south as we slowed a bit too much before a tight left-turn on an incline. As we started to climb, we felt the traction go as our wheels spun on the ice. Ordinarily we would have rolled back a bit to make a second attempt, but as our drawbar trailer was still on the slant in the turn there was no option but to climb out and shovel some gravel under the drive axle.

Thankfully, after we’d kicked some grit it into place, we climbed back in, gently ease off in first gear and were on our way back to base.

S650 6×2

For our second drive, we chose an S650 tractor unit. With only one drive axle, we thought this truck would struggle to cope with the ice and snow – but it actually acquitted itself well.

Taking the same route as before, but avoiding the scenic route altogether (the demo drivers had tried it earlier and had also become stuck), we settled in for a pleasant and comfortable drive. Again, service brakes were used to control our descent, and once across the bridge we were ready to make the standing start back up the hill.

When we spotted a gap in the traffic, we gently leant on the gas but felt the wheels spinning once more. To help us out, we dabbed at the Load Transfer controls on the dash to put more weight on the drive axle. Once set to 13 tonnes, we felt the tyres bite and away we went.

P220 B4x2LB

Once back at the yard, we spotted a new arrival just pulling in – a P220 B4x2LB with FOKOR body aimed at urban distribution. The truck was fitted with Scania’s recently released 7-litre, 220 bhp engine which hadn’t yet had a press outing, so we were of course keen to give it a go.

We’ve noted before how much visibility the P-cab offers, and our Low cab was also fitted with Scania’s new City Safe Window in the passenger-side doorframe.

Starting it up, we immediately noticed how quiet the new 7-litre powerplant is. Often, drivers of smaller trucks suffer a noisy cab, but the soundproofing in the P-cab matched with efficient engine tuning dampened the note to a comfortable background rumble – no matter how hard we worked the motor.

The test truck was running with an eight-speed automated transmission, which we opted to use in manual mode around the short test track at the Scania demo centre. The course is used as a racetrack in the summer months, so it provided plenty of bends, hills and descents for us to negotiate. We stuck in fourth gear for most of it, and the truck performed admirably.

More information: https://www.scania.com/uk

The Mercedes-Benz Mp4 Actros is one of the most significant trucks in the company’s history. It’s hard to believe the earliest examples are now six years old – but now Actros1 is here with an upgraded load-out.

Of all the truck makers over the last decade, it’s the Stuttgart-based giants that really nailed it with the styling. Whatever your opinion on the truck itself, the Actros looks brilliant, even today. You’ll hear no talk of “needs a strong livery” or “what are those bits of plastic?” or “it’s like an ERF ECX” here. 

Much of the success enjoyed by the Actros has been down to its popularity with, well, pretty much everyone. The super-fleets like them, as do family firms. There is a bewildering array of cab sizes and engine options. The Actros does everything from pee-wee parcel-pullers to colossal heavy-haulage outfits, but the mainstays of the range are the full-size StreamSpace, BigSpace and GigaSpace tractor units.

As smart as they look, these Actros have never been universally praised for their driver appeal. The truck has forged a strong reputation for reliability and fuel economy among operators, but from a driver’s point of view the Actros tends to be fairly strongly liked or disliked. The six-pot engines can feel underpowered until you’re over the 500 bhp mark, and the Powershift gearbox – a common cause of griping from drivers – has never been able to match the slick-shifting of an I-Shift or Opticruise.

A shot in the arm

What the Actros has been needing is a shot in the arm, a special edition to show off what it can really do. The Actros1 is aimed at the likes of owner-operators/small fleets who might otherwise be contemplating something Swedish, and big-boys who want a flagship/reward for a loyal driver. It’s putting a marker down squarely in Scania V8 territory, and Mercedes-Benz will be hoping the halo effect will pull the rest of the range along with it. 

There aren’t too many 630 bhp Actros on our roads just now, but the new ‘1’ is looking to change that. This is the top output available from the 15.6-litre OM 473 LA engine. The limited-edition truck is also available with a 530 bhp 12.8-litre engine. The thing about big engines on regular 44-tonne work is they’re completely unstressed. Not only can they provide shorter journey times in hilly regions, but the fuel economy is often no worse, or even better than a no-frills 450. It’s worth stressing, though, that big-power trucks need responsible drivers to get the best from them. For STGO work, the Actros1 is designed to operate at 68 tonnes, although it’s available as a midlift only.

Today, with the driver shortage what it is, companies are increasingly looking to up-spec trucks to make them more attractive to, and therefore help retain, good drivers. Back in 2012 when the Actros launched, 450 bhp was the norm. Now you’re just as likely to see 480s or 510s – and its the same for all the other manufacturers. Up-spec’ing isn’t just about the drivers though; it’s also about residual values. We’ve mentioned it a number of times in Truck on Trial. A smart 500+ with a big cab and some extras is just so much nicer for everyone concerned that even trunk fleets who don’t do nights out are going for them.

On the road

We had the opportunity to drive the new Actros1 from Gretna, at the Scottish border, up through Moffat on the A701, looping back round and picking up the M74 again. The last Actros I drove was for work, about 18 months ago. It was a 510 GigaSpace on supermarket deliveries and I remember it being a substantial improvement on the Euro 5 450s I spent a lot of time driving in 2013-14. Climbing up the many steps into the cab, the Actros1 sports a pretty much identical dash. The main differences are the luxurious leather seats, a set of rear lockers and a modern stereo with full colour touchscreen, DAB and sat nav. 

For a truck with so much in-built technology, the Actros is easy to get to grips with. I remembered how to scroll through the dash menus using the steering wheel buttons, and connecting my phone to the Bluetooth took seconds. On the older Actros, I found the driver seat to be set too high – your legs would be visible from the side window. I’d have to drive with the seat on the floor, air dropped, which was annoying. The Actros1 is much better. I was able to set the seat just how I wanted it with the air controls.

The dash itself is well built, but it’s a shame its clad in plain black plastic, with a touch of grey. Some fake wood or brushed metal would really improve the looks. Selecting gear couldn’t be easier, using the stalk on the right. I’ve previously found the auto ’box to be one of the weaker points on the Actros, but the latest revisions for Euro 6 Step C have seen improvements made to the software and the speed in which the gears shift. We shuttled up the ratios smoothly, and the need to downshift was dealt with quickly – not that the engine was ever struggling.

Curiously, the truck is low-geared, especially when taking into account the down-speeding strategy that’s been rolled out by manufacturers for the latest Euro 6 updates. Almost 1400 rpm on the limiter? It’s a strange one, especially considering the amount of torque available. Worth bearing in mind if you’re spec’ing a new one.

Easy rider

Winding our way though the busy town of Moffat, the Actros slumbered along, barely above tickover. The gearbox was responsive to light touch on the throttle, keeping the revs low and shifting up early at low speeds. With 3000 Nm of torque at 1000 rpm, it was easy to forget the trailer full of concrete ballast weighing us down at almost 44 tonnes gross. Climbing the hill out of town, the transmission had the good sense to hold ratios on inclines, not taking my lifting of the throttle on a corner as an excuse to upshift.

It’s effortless, and what’s also pleasing is the noise of the engine. It sounds like you’ve got a big, powerful diesel engine under the floor. Which is good, because you do.

As we began to drop down some steep inclines, the engine brake came into play. I’ve found in the past that the Actros would have the annoying habit of dropping three ratios and booting ninth gear right in the spuds when you go for full engine brake power. As with the rest of the gear shifting, this seems to have been refined, with the downshifting under braking better controlled. At no point did I have to contemplate using manual transmission mode. There is a Power mode available through the transmission which will temporarily employ a more aggressive shift strategy, but I doubt you’d ever need it at 44 tonnes.

Overall, I was impressed with how much better integrated the transmission was: it feels like it’s working in harmony with the driver, rather than you getting into arguments with it.

Feeling tyred

The steering was on the heavy side, but that’ll be due to the substantial super single tyres on the drive axle – they look smart but don’t help the front suspension, which gets upset by potholes more than some. I do still get the impression that you sit on top of an Actros, rather than in it. The cab still feels like it rolls a bit on corners – if the cab must be mounted so high, then there’s going to be a compromise somewhere.

When it came to parking up the truck, throttle response when reversing was a touch sticky, but better than previous examples we’ve tried; there’s a crawler mode which is enabled via the dash menus for manoeuvring. Make sure that it is.

Now, considering the sheer size of the Actros, you’d think the cab would be equally as enormous. But it isn’t, and the interior isn’t particularly innovative. The floor is so high that the inside isn’t as big as you might think. Don’t get me wrong, it’s spacious. The rear lockers provided here help with storage space enormously. The microwave is located here, leaving the front overheads free. There’s a big comfy premium mattress, and you even get some Actros1 bedding included in, er, beige and white. It’s all nice, but it lacks the clever touches of some rivals. The stereo, though, is absolutely banging. With seven speakers and a subwoofer, you could hold your own private rave in there.

VERDICT

If the Actros1 is all about pushing the range upmarket, planting seeds and showing what the truck can really do, then it succeeds. It can sit confidently alongside any prestige high-output rival and hold its head high. This does feel special, and the Actros looks as fresh as ever on the outside. The seats are fantastic, but the interior could do with a facelift.

DAF reveals its latest Euro 6-powered 8×4 chassis aimed at the construction sector
By Steev Hayes
Photography Steev Hayes

It looks like there could be a new dawn just around the corner, which may be hugely beneficial to the road transport industry – the construction of new housing.

Despite the construction industry flat-lining all through the recession, there is cross-party agreement that the UK is suffering a major housing shortfall, and there are moves afoot to put that right by planning a massive increase in house building programmes across the UK.

Ironically, another major part of that new dawn is the HS2 high-speed rail project which, it is claimed, will improve business links between the South and the North. This will involve a lot of demolition work as well as construction, and both these initiatives will require large numbers of trucks to haul spoil, aggregates, tarmac, bricks and blocks and other commodities to and from the various sites. Perhaps the Big Seven truck manufacturers saw this as an ideal opportunity and so began announcing their Euro 6 construction chassis, which they have been doing individually since the beginning of last year.

Despite a decidedly altered economic climate at the end of 2016, Scania ended on a high. After a successful launch of its new R and S series in Paris (Trucking, October 2016), top brass said order intake for both have been healthy.

“We are selling everything we can produce and orders keep coming in,” said Christopher Podgorski, senior vice president, Scania Trucks. He said so far, only the firm’s Södertälje plant is producing the new generation. The main plants for final assembly – Zwolle and Anger – will not come online until Scania introduces vehicles for other applications.

Recently, we had the opportunity to test drive Scania’s new long-haulers on the frozen roads of Trysil, Norway, to see how they fared in some extreme winter conditions. Podgorski pointed out operators in Norway were taking to the new vehicles.

“By January, some 100 trucks from the new generation were in the hands of happy Norwegian customers,” he said.

The temperature on the day of our tests was a balmy -12 degrees C, and the forest region’s country highways were treacherous with ice along the entirety of our route, which began at Scania’s test base on the outskirts of Nybergsund and took us down a long, twisting descent along Route 25 to a bridge over a river. Once on the other side, we circled a roundabout before heading back up
the highway towards the demo centre…