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350hp used to be plenty for a top-weight tractor. Then we got used to 400hp and latterly 500hp. But does anyone really need over 600hp?
Who cares — driving the Volvo 610hp FH 16 is an awesome experience.
It's not often Volvo gets its product planning wrong, but it seems to have misjudged the appeal of the latest FH16 range. When we first drove the FH16 early in 2003, the first example provided was a 6x4 tractor pulling a low-loader at a gross weight just into STGO territory.This summed up Volvo's expectations of selling a few examples to specialist operators running at higher weights.
After all ,rnuch of Scandinavia routinely allows general haulage at 60 tonnes, unlike the more southerly parts of Europe, us included.
We wouldn't normally bore you with market figures in a roadtest,but the FH16's make interesting reading. Of the 100 or so sold in the UK and Ireland at the time of our test, only 10% were 8x4s and another 20% were 6x4s.The rest were 4x2 and 6x2s suitable for general haulage.Another statistic covers the engine choice: four 610s are being sold for every 550. So while those who say there's no need for high-powered trucks in the UK may be right, there is definitely significant demand.
The new D I6C engine is just that: Volvo claims the only bits carried over from the previous D16B unit are the crankshaft bearing bolts Considerable attention has been paid to weight saving, with the new engine weighing in at 100kg lighter than the old one.
The spec of the in-line six includes timing gears relocated to the rear of the block. The two versions available are rated at 550 and 610hp.Torque output is 2,500Nm and 2,800Nm respectively, and it could be even higher — both ratings' charts straight-line from 950 to 1,500rpm so this engine could obviously deliver more if it was allowed to.
Probably the biggest FH16 disappointment is the transmission, with no sign of I-Shift on the spec sheet. What is arguably the most sophisticated automated box on the market can't yet handle the 16-litre engine's torque. Instead it gets the more traditional 14-speed manual box with three main ratios, splitter and range-change, and two crawlers.
On the road We expected great things of Volvo's FH16 610; maybe even the ability to move mountains What we didn't expect was for it to remove entire ranges from the map.
Anyone who knows the final reaches of the M6 from Burton-in-Kendal services to Carlisle will appreciate that there appear to be a few hills in the way. Some trucks take this section in their stride, managing it without a downshift. But the FH16 610, however, is the first contender to do it without the speedo needle moving below its limited speed.
We would have easily negotiated Kiln Pit and Castleside hills in high range if we hadn't been baulked by a couple of boulder-carrying artics, despite stopping for two minutes to give them a chance to get out of the way before Castleside.And the performance of the 16-litre engine is matched by the power of the Volvo Engine Brake.
On that run over Shap, with the cruise control set at 90km/h, the computer allowed us exactly 7km/h over-run on the long descents no more, no less — keeping us exactly at the speed limit.
Service brakes were excellent, as was the handling, and there were no noticeable ill effects from the wide tyres on the uprated steer axle, apart from a harder-than-ideal ride on poor surfaces.
The Volvo's Michelin steer tyres were equipped with spray suppression ridges on the sidewalls and these were certainly well tested in the monsoon we drove through over Shap. Only the drivers following us could vouch for their effectiveness, but no-one complained.
Our test of the FH16 was particularly interesting as it presented a still rare chance to evaluate ESP stability and roll-over control in the real world, rather than in the closed confines of a proving ground.The verdict? It certainly works, but we felt it was calibrated to deal with a worst-case scenario, like pulling a tanker or a load of hanging meat.
But our bog standard curtainsider has a relatively low centre of gravity. As a result ESP tended to interrupt our progress out of a roundabout, even at fairly modest speeds,just when we were trying to power away smoothly. This was a distraction, to say the least, and did nothing to help us drive smoothly for economy.
Productivity
With 600-plus horsepower on tap, fuel economy must be dreadful, right? True,its overall fuel return of 7.76mpg cannot match the remarkably consistent consumption of around 8.9mpg given by all three previous 40-tonne contenders over our revised Scottish route, but these were considerably lower-powered offerings from Daf, Renault and Scania.
Finding similarly-powered comparators was tricky— we had to go back to the old roadtest route to find any Euro-3 rivals running at more than 500hp.These were at various gross weights, but taking this into account it remains clear the big Volvo's economy is comparable with other range-toppers.
In any case, if you've really set your heart on such a machine, your head won't be getting much of a say.At 7,690kg the FH16 isn't the lightest 4x2 tractor on the block, but it's not so heavy as to inconvenience any but the most payload-critical operation.
As you might have deduced from the previous section,journey times are not an issue. Suffice to say, nothing on sale today will beat it on any journey — not without tearing up the rule book, anyway.
Su ice to say, not wit out tearing
Cab comfort
You'd expect a flagship tractor to boast an interior that befits its status, and the FH16 doesn't disappoint. Based on the top-spec, high-roof Globetrotter XL cab,the FH16 has a few unique features.This is the nearest Volvo gets to a flat floor.Thanks to the slight engine hump and the fixed gear lever, it isn't quite as easy to move around in as some competitors, but it's acceptable.
The interior trim in grey and ten-acotta is unique to the FH16, as are the chrome mono grammed exterior door handles.The copper trim strip across the dash may be a matter of taste,but it isn't to ours.
up t e ru e oo
The driver's seat deserves a road test to itself. Briefly, the leather-trimmed throne features electric adjustment for cushion angle and length:height:two separate backrest angles; three lumbar supports: and backrest bolster width. Naturally it has an arm rest and is heated,but it's also air-cooled. Fans can either blow air through the seat perforations or suck it out (feel free to insert your own joke here). The only quibble is that air isn't refrigerated, but you can't have it all.The passenger, by way of contrast, gets a fixed seat whose only trick is to fold up for better access.
A wide array of switches includes a few less familiar items. Sensiblythe switch nearest the door is for the worklight, while others control cab tilt lock, fuel bleed and drain and hill hold (part of the ESP package). More conventionally, others include diff-lock, traction control cancel, cab heat and interior lighting.
Volvo has paid great attention to driver and vehicle security. As well as the standard smoke alarm in the bunk area, the dash has switches for a panic alarm and an SOS button which uses the Dynafleet GSM phone link to summon help. There's also an intruder alarm and a steel safe.
Three column stalks include lighting and cruise control on the left and wipers and Driver Information Display on the right.The third,smaller stalk, also on the right.is dedicated to engine braking, with automatic and three stages of manual control.
As befits a flagship, the FH16 has the full Dynafieet package, including colour sat-nay on the pop-up screen and a fully integrated phone. with controls on the steering wheel and speaker and microphone built into the seat. Above the screen are the radio/CD player (with display on the dash) and the tachograph. More switches manage the electric roof hatch, reverse bleep cancel and that all-important Globetrotter XL headboard light.
The usual interior sun visors have fold-out ends, but only the driver gets a side visor. Big mirrors give excellent rear visibility,but they also create a major blindspot in the driver's one o'clock position. Never mind not seeing motorcycles;you could lose a large van behind them Storage in the front of the cab includes three lockers above the screen and a large drawer and small table, both pulling out from under the centre of the bunk.A huge illuminated recess, at least A3-sized, lives below the central dash area; other useful spots include a lidded bin behind the gear lever.The dash caters for the thirsty with two cupholders and a holder large enough for a two-litre bottle. A 12V DIN socket and a 24V cigar lighter provide electrical power.
Without Volvo's fuel flow meter,the flat area on top of the dash would be large enough for a TV, and a nearby oddments tray is just right for trouser pocket contents.That rather expensive flow meter, incidentally, was faulty but the one built into the trip computer proved to be commendably accurate: it was less than a litre adrift after a 750km test.
Moving to the sleeping accommodation. both bunks boast interior sprung mattresses with matching undersheets. Nets and lights at each end with a central control panel for lighting and heating mean you can sleep either way.The three-position top bunk still leaves access to the rear lockers which is just as well, as they contained some of the more important bits of the Volvo's inventory behind their roller fronts. One includes a fridge; the other houses the Samsung microwave.
A quick cookery tip: as its only rated at 500W add about 30% to the time quoted for a 650W oven and your Ginster's peppered steak slice will be dune to a turn.'The only question is how the glass turntable will rattle on rough roads if not returned to its protective packet. II