DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
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CM had the opportunity to try out 95XFs with all four Euro-3 engines, including the 530, on a hilly route In the Ardennes. The trucks were pulling a variety of trailers, including tankers and boxes, but all were loaded to a full 40-tonne GVW.
The route provided a wide selection of driving conditions, including twisting country roads with moderately severe ups and downs and a motorway section with a long drag up to the highest point in Belgium which we used as a direct comparison for the different engines' climbing ability.
Needless to say, the 530 was capable of
effortless progress; it had no problem reach ing 811km/h in the length of a motorway slip road. The power was provided in a very smooth manner that belied the fact that speed was being gained rapidly. The Oaf Engine Brake, provided by Jacobs, coped well with the descents, provided the revs were kept up. Six-high on the A-roads and seven-high on the motorway sections were enough to maintain progress close to the prevailing speed limits.
The 430 and 480 versions also handled 40 tonnes well enough, but the 380 found the hilly terrain hard work, and the power-to-weight ratio was apparent during shunting manoeuvres on hard lock, when the triaxle trailer's drag made itself known.
The Servoshift system lived up to Oaf's claims, with a light and precise change that is better than some cars. Interior noise levels and ride quality of the Space Cab were everything we've come to expect; indeed when we returned to Luxembourg airport in a people carrier from a well-known manufacturer, it was obvious that we had stepped down a level or two in refinement!