6x4 leads Foden% new 3000-series
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• Foden's new 3250 6x4 chassis is just the first of a range of 3000-series vehicles to be launched in the next couple of years. Some of the earliest moves will be to fit other engines, including the new airto-air intercooled version of the Cummins 6CT engine fitted to the 3250. That engine, announced last week, has a power output of 198kW (265hp) which would, presumably, earn a "3265" or "3270" badge on the Foden.
Also on the cards is a 3000series vehicle powered by the forthcoming Caterpillar 1106. There may even be one powered by Perkins, though Foden executives remain tightlipped about such possibilities.
Foden managing director Mark Pigott says that the company wants 5% of the 24-tonne market this year, which would amount to some 140 vehicles. Foden has already sold 80 of the new 3250 chassis, including 25 to Tilcon's mixer subsidiary, Trumix. The ultimate ambition of the company is to boost its share of the six-wheeler market. So far this year, Foden has a 17% share and it aims to boost that to 20% by the end of the year.
We tried unladen examples of the 3250 last week. The installation of the Cummins C Series engine under the big Foden cab is neat and, the clear chassis top looks to be a useful feature.
There is a great deal of spare room under the standard 4000-style cab. It is clear that a lower-mounted, narrower cab based on this would be entirely practical, but Foden marketing and sales director Bruce Green says this would entail major mounting changes.
Inside, the cab is trimmed more basically than the 4000, but the practical plastic finish is still attractive.
On the road, the lack of lowdown torque on this highrevving Cummins engine comes as a surprise. It is a very "soft"-feeling engine, even compared with the smaller B Series fitted to the Leyland Daf Roadrunner and the ERF E6. It will be interesting to test this vehicle loaded to compare it with the Iveco Ford 2421C with an identical driveline.
The Eaton 6109 will, be a pleasant gearbox to use when run-in. The clutch pedal was mounted very high in relation to the other pedals, which made a comfortable driving position awkward. The interior noise levels in this cab are as impressively low as they are in the bigger Fodens. The principal weakness at this stage is that Cummins does not yet offer an exhaust brake on the 6CT — a serious omission for a tipper chassis.