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KEEPING UP APPEARANCES
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We always look forward to getting our hands on a V8 Scania, but for our first outing in the latest R-Series we've driven one without the top power or cab options. Mind you, it's still a world away from being a gaffes motor...
Ask any long-distance driver what he would like to call home for the best part of the week and he will probably ask for a Scania V8. Owner-drivers, small fleet operators and operators looking for consistency tend to buy it first time round, and its popularity on the used market is unmatched.
The tweaks and revamps of the bodywork. cabs and drivelines that arrived last year with the R-Series added weight to the argument that Scania had returned to form.
Mind you, there's a body of opinion that would dispute that assertion—not because of any doubt that Scania's bang on form now: it's simply that they would say it hadn't declined in the first place. Many of these long-distance specialists are privy to a secret that is only known by those who pay the bills.
Given half a chance they would point out that aside from its reputation as a drivers' delight, and putting any personal preferences aside, their margins have consistently been helped by the lower depreciation of Scania products when compared with the opposition. In terms of residuals the Swedes are way ahead of the pack.
When it comes to drivers rather than operators it's fair to say that Scania's reputa lion for luxury transport was weakened when it entered the fleet market —but name a manufacturer that doesn't concentrate on fleet sales for bread-and-butter turnover.
Top-of-the-range tractors are built for vanity rather than profitability —not enough are made to justify their domination of the production line. And its here where Scania has always led the field, keeping a stranglehold on supply to stifle demand. Its competitors have levelled the playing field as best they can, but it's happened in fits and starts.
Volvo's FH line-up is perhaps Scania's closest rival— without sounding too dismissive of other manufacturers' products who, individually, rival the Swedes in areas like cab space with flat floors, efficient drivelines, slick gearboxes or their choice of cab options.
Scania's sleek new look, embodied by our test vehicle, helps set it apart and grille badges like R500 and V8 indicate its ability to climb mountains at consistent speeds.
The R500 6x2 twin-steer tractor tested here is fitted with the optional CR19 high-roof cab. You can extract 493hp from its 15.6-litre lump, which is controlled by Electronic Diesel Control (EDC).Top torque is 2,400Nm between 1,10Orpm and 1,300rpm; in this case 0 it's handled by the optional 14-speed directtop Opticruise transmission; standard box is the 14-speed manual GRS900. Both come with two-crawler gears.
Opticruise is fitted to the steering column at two o'clock, freeing up the left hand side of the drivers seat. Incorporated into this is the optional retarder. Scania has chosen to keep the clutch pedal with Opticruise, though it's only used for starting and stopping. Other options on our test truck include aluminium wheels, sliding fifth wheel and side skirts.
If you're really power hungry the V8 engine includes a 580 option with 571hp and 2,700Nm on tap which puts it in the same league as Volvo's FH16, and will soon be joined by a 620 with 3,000Nm.
On the road
If you are going to haul at 44 tonnes you'll want more than 10hp/tonne; the R500 equates to 11.2hp/tonne and all that torque will make hills an irrelevance. Its performance is on a par with Daf s XF95 530 and its quicker than MANsTGA 430 fleet-spec tractor.
Opticruise is a sweet piece of kit — we finished this test still learning its boundaries. You'd need a good couple of weeks to learn to use it properly, although it's far from complicated:there's the fore-and aft movement to change gears with a manual/auto switch on the end, and downwards for the retarder.
You just know at the back of your mind that this auto system can make more decisions in the thick of action than you have time to appreciate .There's even a`hill option which makes changes further up the box towards 1,85Orpm — this brings into use more power to compensate for the declining supply of torque past its peak at 1,300rpm.
The decision whether to power over sharper hill climbs and economise over more benign longer drags remains in the driver's hands by clicking a button or lifting the Opticruise lever.Alternatively.relax and leave it in auto. But if you decide to leave it all to the brain in the box make sure your right foot remains steady on the accelerator otherwise it'll do something it shouldn't. It's to Scania's credit that it doesn't try to emulate Volvo's Ecoroll system but there is a cruise control limiter where the retarder kicks in on overrun.
Changes up the box are generally made around the 1,500rpm mark. If you want to push on you can take charge and override the changes manually by pressing your foot further down on the pedal. It's your choice but overriding the autochange is likely to be more expensive at the pumps.
As every other automated system we've encountered.holding 40mph can he a pain in the backside. On single track A-roads you'll need to take control to avoid flitting between 11th and top, simply because Opticruise cannot see the road.
At 44 tonnes, even with 500hp, working the tough A-roads twin steer is definitely the way to go.There is no scrub on the mid-axle, prolonging tyre life with little cost to weight penalties, and steering is effortless onto and through all sized roundabouts and bends keeping its momentum.
Productivity
As we tanked down to the usual starting point for our Scottish test route (although one night at Gretna hardly warrants its"Scottish" tag), nationwide panic buying over the expected fuel blockades threatened to scupper our plans."No fuel, boss," was all the information available so we used MIRA Proving Grounds' fuel pumps to start and finish the test.
By the time we returned the following day the panic had all but petered out with a whimper (CM 29 September 2005). Our panic buying took the form of filling up on the A69 as well as our usual diesel haunt on the A l(M) to ensure a detour-free completion of the route.
Of the 44,000kg GVW the tractor accounted for 8,963kg, so taking into consideration the 7,000kg of the triaxle curtainsider test trailer that leaves a potential payload of 28,037kg.
The high-roof option tested weighs 40kg more than an R500 with the standard sleeper cab and theTopline cab adds 136kg. Add another 113kg for the retarder or 106kg for the sliding fifth wheel. On the other hand, aluminium wheels will save you 104kg. It's all a matter of priorities, which is why they're called options in the first place.
As for every tester's favourite variable, the weather, we encountered good weather with gentle westerly winds on day one, although Gretna did look bleak with a mini-storm taking hold as we arrived. Day two brought stronger westerly winds that battered the side of the Scan n ie once we started to head south.
The Daf X F95 530 is an obvious competitor for the R500. With an extra 30 horses in its stable the Daf was quicker than the VS Scania overall and for two of the three road sections on day two.The Daf was also more fuel efficient overall, helped by a box trailer which offers 5.1% better fuel consumption according to our group trailer tests (C11421 August 2003). With this in mind, perhaps more direct competitors are the MAN TGA 430 and the Iveco Stralis 530.
The German proved more frugal and offered a better payload than the Swede, suffering only on overall journey times.The Italian won at the pumps on the first day and handsomely over the two common sections on the second day. Scania's decision to present its truck for test with just 35,000km on the clock is reflected in its overall fuel figure of 7.40mpg.
Cab comfort Sure, the Topline option is the one that carries the flag for Scania as its top-of-the-range motor, but take a second to consider the more traditional Highline cab.The exterior maintains that 'conventional' veneer while the interior, with its raised engine cover, can meet the opposition on equal terms.
After all, the jury is still out on the forwardfitted bunk associated with the Topline. In the Highline both bunks are fixed to the rear wall, and without a gearstick to the left of the driver's seat cross=cab manoeuvring has never been simpler. Its layout resembles the Volvo F1-1 but the Scania lacks the rear-wall tables and lounge seats for those cosy winter's evenings in.
The dark-coloured interior features bags of leather and wood cladding— the steering wheel combines both. Speaking of the wheel, it's a crowded little number, being home for engine information, radio and phone controls, cruise setting and overrun setting.
Put an elbow or even a finger out of place and your carefully set up equilibrium will be broken potentially causing... mild discomfort as you reset your speeds, limiters and radio stations.The radio, by the way, is sensitive to the vehicle's speed: the faster you go, the louder it gets,The information display in the centre of the dash beyond the steering wheel isn't as comprehensive as we'd like; for example, it fails to notify the driver that cruise control is on and at what speed it's set.
The leather seats, especially on the driver's side, can be manipulated from pleasure to pain and back again accommodating any size of trucker. Finally, entry into the cab is made easier if you remember to put the steering wheel into the 'up' position when you leave. •