GOING DUTCH
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Margins are small in the food distribution business which has an inevitable knock-on effect for hauliers in this sector. Most truck manufacturers offer such companies vehicles with "bread-and-butter" specs. Mercedes has the 1827 (1927 on the Continent), Iveco Ford the Cargo 320E27, Leyland Daf the 75.270 and MAN the 17.272 (19272). Home-grown products include the ERF EC8.27, Foden 3000Series tractor and Seddon Atkinson 17.275.
The recent Hanover Show saw the launch of the most powerful Volvo FL7 yet with the arrival of the D7A285 seven-litre Euro-2 engine, rated at 282hp (210kW). In this guise the small engine will find its way into the FL7 6x4 and 8x4 tipper chassis. It will also be offered in Volvo's FL7 4x2 distribution tractive unit and platform chassis designed for operation between 32.5 and 38 tonnes GCW While CM eagerly awaits the chance to test
an FL7 on UK roads, our Dutch sister title T TM has tested one in the Netherlands. The vehicle was a four-axle drawbar combination running at 28 tonnes GCW.
• PRODUCT PROFILE The D7A engine offers a 10% power boost over the existing seven-litre TD73ES Volvo engine, while torque is up an impressive 25% to 95811ift (1,100Nm) at 1,300rpm compared with the 1.400rpm of the TD73ES. In the UK this plugs the gap between the 256hp (191kW) seven-litre engine and the 315hp (235kW) 10litre engine of the F1.10.
For TTM readers, it's a slightly different story. The latest seven-litre engine closely matches the output of a lower powered FL10285 offered on the Continent but weighs some 300kg less. However, the FL10-285 has gained little favour owing to its weight and price.
Extracting 282hp from 6.7 litres required