SCANIA R143.500 (6x2)
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CM test published 2-8 April.
Power: 368kw (500hp).
Average fuel consumption: 39.510/100km (7. 15mpg).
Average speed: 70.7km/h (43.9mph). Payload as tested: 23.5 tonnes.
I. Ask any owner-driver what he'd like to run and it's a fair het Scania would appear near the top of his list. After three days on the road with the flagship R143-500 we were ready to second that proposal.
The Swedish marque is renowned for its driveability, but the biggest surprise with our R143-500 was its fuel consumption. Until we drove it no 358kW (480hp)-plus tractor had ever broken the magic 7rnpg (40.361it/100km) barrier around our test route. The R143-500, with optional Streamline cab and electronically controlled 14-litre vee-eight, managed to finish at 39.51it/100km (7.15mpg), albeit at a slower overall speed than its rivals from Mercedes, Renault or Volvo. If the big Scania's economy was good, its GRS900 14-speed gearbox was even better. We described it as "Scania's best yet".
Our test truck was a tag-axle six-wheeler with air on the drive axle and a single air bag on the tag to raise it when running light. It was also registered before the October 1991 ABS deadline and under full brake stops our non-ABS tag R143-500 "demonstrated the classic limitation of tag-axle units under hard braking..." namely the effect of weight transfer around the drive axle caused the tag wheels to lock up. We hope ABS has put an end to that.