Two Renault 38-tonners adapted for Britain
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iBlakemore has the mical low-down on R310 and G260 4x2s ich have been dified for operators he United Kingdom T-HAND drive versions of ult's R310 and 6260 4x2 38 ?.s gcw tractive units are Dn sale in the UK.
a G260 17 TD is available a single-bunk sleeper or cab while the R310 19 TD only with a sleeper cab le bunk standard, double inal). Karrier Motors is hav)oth models type approved 3.45 tonnes (28 tons) and tonnes (32 tons) gcw as well 38 tonnes (37.4 tons).
e G260 was introduced in e last year and has the liar "Club of Four" based which is also fitted to the lult GF151 16-tonner, TF231 inner, and to Volvo's F7 e. The lightweight cab helps )ep the G260's kerb weight at a quoted 5,765kg (5,67 ) for the day-cab version, y for the road with fifthal installation, rear wings a full 300 lit (66 gal) fuel , but without spare wheel. sleeper cab G260 tips the at 6,095kg (6.0 tons) in the e condition.
igh tensile steel of .N/sqm (28.2 ton/sqin) yeild ;s is used for "the 6260's Ilel channel section chassis members which have bolted riveted crossmembers. The emember section is <82x7mm (9.9x3,2x0.28in). !nault's MIDS 06.20.45, 9.8. turbocharged, in-line six ne is fitted to the UK specition G260, and not the ge cooled version of the e engine (MIDR 06.20.45), th is used in other European
)th these engine variants are ved from RVI's 06.20.30, 8.8range (in production since 11 with the increased caparesulting from a longer ke, and both new models 3 almost identical installed ;imum power and torque rat, of around 192kW (258bhp) 200rpm and 982Nm (724Ibft) 300 to 1,400rpm.
Jt surprisingly the DIN 70020 ormance curves show that turbocharged engine's imum full load specific fuel sumption is significantly er, at around 209g/kW/h,
(0.344Ib/bhp/h) than that of the charge cooled engine, which is never lower than 218g/kW/h (0.359Ib/bhp/h).
It is not entirely clear why RVI chose not to fit the chargecooled engine in the UK specification G260 but this difference in sfc might have been an influencing factor. It is possible that we shall see a more powerful charge-cooled 06.20.45, perhaps rated at around 290hp, some time in the future.
The same gearbox is used both for the G260 and R310. It is RVI's own B9-150, an eightspeed synchromesh rangechange twin counter-shaft unit with a deep low first gear ratio (a crawler gear of 11.09:1) and an overdrive (0.75:1) top gear.
The lightweight (316kg) and compact (878mm Overall length) B9 gearbox is built at RVI's highly automated Boutheon plant near St Etienne.
It is designed to be matched with engines having power ratings from 160 to 300kW (220 to 400hp) and torque outputs from 1,000 to 1,700Nm (738 to 1,254 lbft).
The epicyclic range-change unit at the rear of the gearbox is housed in an aluminium cover but a cast iron cover is available as an alternative to permit fitment of a Telma retarder. Switching from high to low range and vice versa is effected by moving the gear lever across a detent, in the now familiar "double H" pattern.
Renault maintains its policy of all in-house-built drive train components with the G260's rear axle, which is a hub reduction P1141-B model with a standard ratio of 5.125:1. Two alternative ratios, 6.83 and 5.86, are offered as options and so is a differential lock. This axle's maximum design weight is 11,600kg (11.4 tons). The standard rear-axle ratio gives the G260 a maximum geared speed, on 12 R 22.5 tyres, of 114km/h (71mph) and a maximum rolling gradeability at 32,520kg (32 tons) of 25.38 per cent (1 in 3.94). But the Jaeger road speed governor, fitted as standard to the G260 will be set to limit its top speed to about 105km/h (65mph).
Semi-elliptic leaf springs are fitted to the 6260's front and rear axles with anti-roll bars on both axles and double acting telescopic dampers at the front only. Conventional S-cam foundation brakes with automatic slack adjusters are used for both the G260 and R310 and, unusually, both models are supplied complete with brake and electrical flexible couplings. Both have three line semi-trailer connections and both models are fitted with exhaust brakes as standard.
Karrier has set the prices of its new models to be keenly competitive with their major rivals on the UK market. The retail price of the 3.0m (118in) day cab G260 is £25,800 and the 3.6m (142in) wheelbase sleeper cab version costs £1,000 more, while the 3.3m (130in) wheelbase R310 costs £29,500.
The R310 is taller, longer and heavier than the G260 and is aimed squarely at the top end of the UK tractive unit market, while the G260's particular forte is its broad-based appeal being light, compact, manoeuvrable and inexpensive enough to be used for local or medium distance-work and powerful and comfortable enough for occasional long-distance work.
The R310 supersedes the TR305. About 70 per cent of the parts used on the new model are the same as used on the old but a number of significant changes have been made.
The R310's cab, for instance, has the same steel shell but now the lower door and body panels are of steel instead of grp.
The cab mountings have been changed to coil springs and dampers at the front from the earlier more rigid pivots and a factory paint finish (white as standard) is given to each cab.
A number of detail cab interior improvements have been made. The R310's cab is now impressively well appointed.
Like the TR305, the R310 is fitted with RVI's 12-litre turbocharged and charge-cooled inline MIDR 06.35.40 but power, torque and specific fuel consumption have all been improved on the latest model.
Most rhd R310's will be fitted with Bosch fuel injection equipment and will have power and torque ratings of respectively 228 kW ( 305 bhp) at 2,000rpm and 1,285Nm (948 lbft) at 1,300rpm. When Lucas CAV injection equipment is fitted the power and torque ratings are marginally less.
How do they drive?
Karrier has promised that both new models will be availabl full CM road test within a two months. In the meantir have gained some brief dri impressions on a short r around Karrier's Dunst. plant.
Not surprisingly, in view pedigree, from the outside inside the G260's cab appea be very similar to a Volvc The driving position on ai ringhausen mechanical sus sion seat is relatively high, r ing for a good all-round fie vision.
i found the double H re change control on the G2 drove to be a little heavy clunky but some allowance to be made for the fact thal demonstrator was very new.
However, the R310 I d next, again a brand new vet had an altogether slicker shift.
Both tractive units ‘+‘ coupled to tipping tri-axle s trailer and were laden tc tonnes gcw. In the limited si available it was only just sible to get into high rang each of the vehicles. While R310 noticeably had the edg acceleration, as one would pect, the G260 pulled sun ingly willingly. This vehicle look and feel like an F7, but G260's 9.8-litre engine is a more beefy than Volvo's 6.7unit.
How long will it be one v dors, before Volvo respond Renault's attack on the U14 tonne market with an F7-cat 257hp F10 chassis?
With the addition of these new models, Karrier now offerings in 80 per cent of market sectors above 3.5 tor gvw, whereas hitherto ontl per cent was covered.
It is evident from the efforl into the launch of the G260 R310, and concurrently ir duced new finance scheme covery scheme and parts pri policy, that Karrier's man. ment has high hopes for the cess of the new models.
Karrier's director of comr cial operations, Guy Caune expects them to win a four cent market share next year , sales of around 440 units. expected that that total wil split 60/40 in favour of the C which will become the first nault commercial vehicle tc assembled in Britain whe goes into production on Dodge assembly lines next y,