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THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE...

11th August 2005, Page 56
11th August 2005
Page 56
Page 57
Page 56, 11th August 2005 — THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE...
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The Volvo FL is the oldest model currently available on the UK market. Andy Salter assesses this old stager's latest re-incarnation.

We'll remember 1986 for a number of reasons. Liverpool did the FA Cup and League double; West Tip won the Grand National; Prince Andrew married Fergie; and, if memory serves, this was the year Maggie Thatcher was under pressure for allowing the US to use British air bases to bomb Libya.

Few will remember 1986 as the year the Volvo FL range was launched. But while Thatcher has been and gone. Fergie's marriage failed and West Tip is now dog food — well, maybe not, but you get the gist — the Volvo FL is still going strong.

Sales are good, particularly in the skiploader sector, where it commands nearly 20% of the market, and the recent return of the FL Highlander model signals an intention by Volvo's marketing team to eke a few more years out of the range.

We say return, because the Highlander version of the FL is nothing new. Volvo launched the Highlander construction version of its 18-tonner in the mid-'90s including a 4x4 option.This time round it's only available as a 4x2.

But why relaunch the Highlander in the first place? Volvo explains that since the front under-run protection legislation came into force in August 2003, operating a road going vehicle off-road has become extremely difficult. Because all trucks must be fitted with a front under-run protection bar, ground clearance and front approach angle have been severely restricted.

Many other manufacturers have already adapted their 18-tonners to get round this legislation:Volvo is entering the fray with the revamped FL Highlander.

Mechanically the Highlander is virtually identical to the normal road-going FL 18tonner with a number of minor modifications to improve its ground clearance while meeting the EU legislation for off-road vehicles which make it exempt from the front underrun regs. Essentially these mods boil down to a beefier chassis, higher mounted cah,sump and radiator guard and a vertical exhaust.

Elsewhere the Highlander is pure FL: power comes from the tried and tested 5.5-litre D6B engine offering 220 or 250hp with 700 and 825Nm of torque respectively.'The 220hp version gets Volvo's six-speed T700A gearbox while higher-powered FLs have the option of a nine-cog R800 range-change synch ro box —Allison's five-speed auto is an option on all versions.

The chassis from the FH and FM models makes the Highlander rugged enough to withstand tough operating conditions, while the ageing cab, though low on frills, offers a spacious working environment with unrivalled visibility.

On the road The Volvo FL has never been one of our favourite trucks, hut while there was nothing to dispel those prejudices on this occasion we can appreciate why the Highlander might be attractive to the construction sector, and particularly to skip operators.

For starters, cab entry is extremely good. Deep, wide entry steps offer ample space to kick the mud off dirty site boots and once inside the floor covering and interior in general is hard-wearing and easy to clean.

All-round visibility is excellent — there's glass everywhere. If you or your drivers are making tight collections and deliveries this cab is ideal if you want to avoid dents and scrapes. All the sight angles are covered from the driver's seat, thanks to deep side windows in the door, windows on the rear wall, and behind the seats between the B and C pillars. Volvo has even added a front blindspot mirror in a bid to cut accidents.

Providing the revs were kept above 1,500rpm the little 220hp engine pulled well, even fully freighted with a skip on the back. But don't try and lug down — it soon gives up the ghost as the revs drop. Relatively low gearing from the 4.89:1 rear axle gives good driveability about town and on A-roads, though as you'd expect its acceleration is hardly going to set the world on fire, and the high revs at top speed makes the cab a bit noisy on the motorway. The short rear axle also meant bottom gear was very low so we found ourselves setting off in second to give improved acceleration though we don't claim this will do anything for clutch life.

Ride and handling of our skip machine was excellent. Despite the rather high centre of gravity the chassis felt extremely stable, with little discernible roll through the corners. On the comfort front the only issue we had was with the seat squab. which tended to make our cheeks a bit numb after half an hour or so at the wheel. Clearly your correspondent's recent weight loss has cost him some natural padding! •

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Organisations: European Union
Locations: Liverpool

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