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Sitting slightly lower than some of the opposition with a
Page 49
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two-step entry to the cab, the Volvo FE looks and feels solidly engineered. With a Renault Midlurn-based cabin and Deutz D7 straight-six, the FE fills a gap between the lighter FLs and heavier FMs.
The Volvo's well balanced suspension means it can be hustled through bends confidently with minimal body roll. The EBS discs on every wheel are commendably progressive and a two-position exhaust brake proves particularly effective. Maximum torque from the Euro-4, 7.2-litre SCR engine is available at 1,200-1,700rpm and while it doesn't lug down as far as larger Volvo lumps, the FL pulls back comfortably from 1,000rpm in sixth gear.
This is very much a tipper, with a ladder-frame B-ride (light construction use) chassis height of one metre, two-spring steel bogies at the rear. sump protection, a three-piece front bumper and hub-reduction rear axles. The 3.05m wheelbase affords a good turning circle and on-site manoeuvrability. Our model featured optional alloy wheels, a Rouse Xtralite alloy aggregate body, Dawbarn side-to-side
load sheet and Edbro front-end di tipping gear.
Despite its additional length, the 'medium sleeper cab with its high dog kennel and awkward gearstick position makes the driver feel very enclosed, a design feature inherited from the old FL 'Wendy House'. Scania drivers will probably be happy here, MAN drivers less so.
Storage space offers an embarrassment of riches. In the rear of the cab lurks a large 'multi-purpose' plastic pod, offering a table, storage, sliding trays, bottle and clipboard holders and more; but a bunk would be of more use. The cab already has a plethora of over-screen lockers, cup-holders, bulkhead pockets, a sturdy clothes rail and excellent wet kit storage with a removable floor pan.
Tinted windows were welcome (especially as the optional air-con was not fitted to the test truck), as were wide-angle mirrors mounted on slim arms which don't obscure forward-three-quarter vision. Fleet operators might benefit from ordering a short day cab and keeping the truck's footprint as short as possible.
The main shortcoming was the FE's 'Easy-shift' gearbox The gate was stiff; reverse was hard to engage without recourse to both hands; and the gearstick was too far back. We missed the light, fast and easy-to-reach manual shift of its FL stablemate, or better still the excellent I-Shift automated option.
Volvo expects to sell about 100 similar FE 6x4 B-riders in 2007, despite the industry trend towards 8x4s.
For roadgoing UK aggregates, tipper or mixer chassis work, the lightweight, Swedishbuilt FE with a payload of just over 16 tonnes should be a serious contender. This chassis is ideally suited to UK tipper work but with a price tag nearly £20,000 more than the Axor's, it should be.