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TIME WAS WHEN could have bet your mortgage that any
Page 54
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driver hauling 44 tonnes with a 420hp driveline and manual transmission with the A68 homing in on the horizon was in for a tough time. But hard work does bring its rewards, and previous tests have confirmed that weaker engines can return good fuel consumption, albeit at the expense of speed.
This sums up our first two days' driving in the Scania — it kept pace with more powerful trucks in its class on dual-carriageway and motorway sections but lost tempo over the hills and dales.
On the third day it was last out of the blocks as a long day's driving was anticipated through Scotland and down the A68. Key to surviving a tough day is driver comfort, and Scania's sleeper cab, while rather Spartan, meets this need. more or less, even if the passenger seat lacks refinement.
There's plenty of central space although the lack of cup holder on the passenger's side was a disappointment. All that was left to trouble the driver was the A68 and its many steep ascents.
Climbing Carter Bar set the tone for the rest of the route as we seemed to pull a gear lower than we expected. With the 40mph limit vigorously enforced on single-track A-roads there was little scope for building the momentum which is essential for this combination of weight and power.
On the toughest sections, like Kiln Pit Hill and Castleside, third (high or law) lacked strength whereas second (high or low} had enough strength. with some in reserve, for any steeper sections it might have to crawl over.
This produced long tailbacks as we closed in on Consett and then Durham as tea-time approached, much to the annoyance of car drivers eager to get home to their ham and pease pudding and Neighbours.
With an overdrive transmission and no surplus of power anything on the A-roads that held us below 40mph, or even a shallow hill climb, entailed dropping down a gear and its fuel figure does seem to have been hammered as a result.
Our time through the hilly section confirmed our assumption that the R420 truck might be better suited to trunking than mountaineering but when it came to fuel economy it proved more than a match for the competition. Its twin-steer configuration certainly helped as it allowed the truck to glide into corners rather than fighting the standard mid-lift that can push trucks forward in tight turns.
By the end of the third
day this contender was at ease on the Al (M) in what proved to be its natural environment. You could question Scania's decision not to enter a model with an automated box. or not to match power with the competition, but that would have been taking the easy way out.
Apart from the M-B Actros Megaspace all the contenders in this group were bread-and-butter fleet machines and here the Swedes can match anyone. The sleeper cab offers enough comfort to keep the driver happy without going overboard and its status with . drivers and
bosses alike is second to none.