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truck range it seems—new cab/old engine, old cab/new engine, new cab/new engine, long-distance cab first, right-hand-drive last. you name it, we've seen it all in the past few years.
Scania didn't win points for style in its staggered and confusing launch of the 4-Series last year. First there were the R and Topline cabs with 460 and 530hp vee-eights and a 12-litre six-cylinder engine (but only at 400hp). That was unless you were a UK operator, in which case the 4-Series didn't exist until the beginning of 1996 and only then in penny numbers with the Topline cab. Finally, in July, righthand-drive models started to flow in.
Meanwhile, Scania had taken the wraps off the rest of the range, rigids, multi-wheelers and the smaller P-cab. So, if there was any advantage to the UK Scania buyer, when the launch eventually happened at least the complete range was available.
Now there are more models and engines than you can shake a stick at. Since 1 October, the Euro-2 emissions regulations have been officially with us. For Scania this means there are no-less than nine power options from four different engines. Both the nine and 11-litre engines are Euro-2 re-workings of Scania's existing six-cylinder engines. It's the new 12litre, currently rated at 360 and 400hp, that will carry Scania beyond the Euro-3 limits at the turn of the century. This engine is likely to be the most common power plant for UK Scania tractors, where it will probably be mated with the smaller P-cab.
The advent of Euro-2 has starved us of many test trucks this year and we were delighted to get our hands on a Scania P124 360, even though it, was a left-hooker and loaded to 40-tonnes. It was our first chance to test a 4-Series P-cab and the 12-litre engine, so we packed our bags and flew to Belgium.
• ROUTE
The test took place at short notice so we devised a condensed one-way route across Belgium into northern France, Starting from Scania Belgium near Brussels we followed the E40 east beyond Liege to the junction with the E42. From here we ran along the E42 south past Spa into the hilly Ardennes. Leaving the E42 at junction 11 we tracked south-west over the Ardennes to cross the French border between Bouillon and Sedan on the N89/1\158, Once in France we followed the N43 northwest to La Capelle, turning south-west again on the N29 to St Quentin. This road runs due west toward Amiens, but we turned south on the N17 to the BP Truckstop at Roye. Our final leg followed the Al autoroute south toward Paris— we finished the test at the Aire de liemars-Ouest services just north of the city.
• PRODUCT PROFILE
For those not familiar with Scaniaspeak, P124 360 means P (low-mounted) cab, 12-litre engine and 4-Series model. At least the 360hp power rating is a straightforward label. This is currently the lowest rating of the new 12litre engine, by the way; the 11-litre remains at 340hp only.
The 12-litre shares the same 127mm bore with the 11-litre engine but there is little else in common. The bigger engine is a mixture of the conventional and the new, boasting four valves per cylinder but using separate heads and a high-mounted camshaft. Mercedes has gone the same route with its 500 Series veeengines but the Scania does not yet have an electronically controlled fuel system.
All 400hp variants do get Bosch EDC to control the fuel pump, but the 360 is a conven
tional, mechanically governed engine. For some operators that will be a good enough reason to opt for the 360—no electronics, just simple mechanical& The result is an output of 355hp (265kW). The engine might be mechanically controlled, but that doesn't stop Scania from claiming that peak power is produced between 1,600 and 1,900rpm. Similarly the maximum torque of 1,2281bft (1,665Nm) is said to be available between 1,300 and 1,500rpm. It normally takes electronic controls to tailor the engine to such output curves.
The engine sits between the vee-shaped chassis rails; in our test truck it drove through Scania's GR900R eight-speed synchromesh range-change box. This was equipped with Scania's integral retarder, activated automatically by the brake pedal or the dashboard control stalk.
An all-up weight of 40 tonnes meant a change of diff from the 3.08:1 ratio that's standard for the UK. The slightly slower 3.40:1 gives a theoretical geared speed of 108km/h. Our speed limiter was set at 85km/h to satisfy most Continental speed limits.
The P sleeper cab fitted to our test truck is significantly bigger than its 3-Series predecessor. It also differs significantly from the latest P day cab. Not only is it 600mm longer, but it's also 245mm taller, thanks to a domed roof in place of the day cab's fiat top. The result is a sleeper that rivals the old 3-Series R-cab for interior space.The 4-Series P and R cabs have the same 2.49m width.
Although the spec was kept fairly basic, our Scania came with a few pricey options. Apart from the cab roof and cheek air deflectors there were chassis side skirts and steps up to the catwalk; the integrated retarder; traction control; air conditioning; electronic temperature control; central locking; electrically adjustable passenger door mirror; white smoke limiter; cab interior night lighting; Scania Alert driver warning system and sun visor lights, • PRODUCTIVITY With a new cab, new engine, unfamiliar route and 40 tonnes GCW, we weren't sure what to expect from the Scania. Under the circumstances, an overall fuel figure of 7.81mpg (36.21it/100km) looks good. The 39.9mph (64.3km/h) average speed is slower than we would expect on equivalent UK roads but that reflects the lower speed limits in France and Belgium.
Predictably, it was the hilly Ardennes section which delivered the worst fuel consumption of 6.80mpg (40.81it/100km). But curiously the average speed on this section matched that on the easier roads between the French border and the BP truckstop at Roye.
We were not surprised that the Scania returned its best figures on the fairly flat Al autoroute section, where consumption was an excellent 9,74mpg (29.01it/100km). The earlier motorway section results from Brussels to the Ardennes, where its appetite for diesel increased to 7.42mpg (38.1iit/100km), reflects the long hills on the E42 in the Ardennes Overall we were impressed with the results from a 360hp tractor pulling 40 tonnes. We could probably have reduced the fuel consumption further if a splitter box had been fitted, enabling us to fine-tune the gears a little better in the hills.
Although the 26.01 tonne payload looks good, remember that this is at 40 tonnes GCW This equates to 24.01 tonnes at the UK limit which makes it one of the heavier trucks in this power category, but not by much.
• ON THE ROAD In our recent Volvo FL10 360 test (CM 15-21 August), we commented on how much the Volvo synchro box had improved. Maybe the Swedes have just celebrated the Year of The Gearbox because we thought the Scania synchromesh was also better. The improvements only go so far, however. Regular Scania drivers will be relieved to hear that it's still simplicity itself to beat the ponderous range-change up and down the box and pick up neutral instead of fifth or fourth, It's easily rectified but it's still wise to wait for the telltale "clack" before slotting it in. The only trouble is that the extra noise encapsulation to meet the Euro-2 80dB(A) drive-by noise limits can make it difficult to hear!
With 360hp at 40 tonnes the gearlever got used fairly often, too. It's best to describe the performance as adequate, but we'd certainly recommend the splitter box, which comes as standard in the UK at this power/weight ratio.
We reckon the 4-Series Topline cab offers one of the best ride and handling packages in its class. As the P-cab rides on the same chassis with the same suspension set-up and an air-suspended cab we expected similar high standards. We weren't disappointed. If anything, the lower centre of gravity of the P-cab makes it more of a driver's delight. There is less of a tendency to roll, and steering feel remains among the best.
We've encountered the excellent integrated retarder and exhaust brake before, on the 530hp 14144. The driver can either engage the system manually using the dashboard control stalk to select the degree of retardation required—or set the system to limit the downhill speed to a selected maximum automatically. All you need to do is touch the brake pedal or press the switch at the end of the retarder stalk at the desired maximum speed and the system takes care of the rest, applying the retarder and exhaust brake as needed to control downhill speed. Mind you, it's still worth dropping a cog on a long descent to provide more exhaust braking—this will guard against the retarder overheating and cutting out. Scania reckons the retarder offers 670hp (500kW) of braking power topped up with 296hp (221kW) of exhaust braking, which represents a lot of heat, As it was, the temperature barely rose even on the long motorway descents in the Ardennes. The retarder's cooling system is integrated with the engine's, which enables a rise in temperature to be controlled effectively Whether many operators will shell out £3,440 for the undoubted safety benefits and reduced brake wear is questionable but one day an enlightened government might even offer tax or weight concessions for hauliers who fit retarders. We live in hope.
• CAB COMFORT
The extra space inside the P-cab will be immediately obvious to anyone familiar with the 3-Series P-cab. There simply isn't enough storage space for transcontinental trips but for the odd night away it offers much more space than, say, the Volvo PI-7/10 or the standard Focien 4000 sleeper cabs.
Even though the domed roof doesn't quite offer standing headroom, it's certainly possible to get in and out the bunk, or dress, without bending double. We can see transport managers replacing their existing 3series R-cabs with 4-series P cabs.
Our test truck was fitted with a neat Scania extra: a table bolted to the fuse box lid. This could be useful for paperwork, cooking or a TV Stowage ran to three smallish lockers in the header rail, a lidded box over the engine hump and a wardrobe at one end of the bunk. More impressive were the mouldings which would accommodate, cans, bottles or flasks, pens, sunglasses and the like.
As is rapidly becoming common practice, the underbunk stowage was split into three, each with its own hinged sections for access. It's a pity there was no external access to this space for dirty or wet gear.
It's hard to fault the driving position in the 4-Series, The multiadjustable steering wheel will offer just about any position you like. It's not quite as easy to adjust as a Volvo FH, but not far behind.
Drivers get a heated seat as standard; our vehicle's seat was air-suspended with adjustable lumbar supports and the usual tilts and slides. Despite this we still suffered numb-bum syndrome at the end of a day's driving, which we didn't experience with the split-back seats in the Topline cab.
The controls and instruments leave little to be desired. The instruments are large and clearly laid out in front of the driver, Major controls are on the column stalks—wipers to the right, indicators to the left— while clearly marked rotaries and rockers control other functions. About the only thing lacking was a cruise control; this is not an option with the mechanically governed engine. We didn't need the optional air conditioning but the heating and ventilation provided adequate throughput for the warm autumn weather. Visibility was generally good but suffers in the same way as many other modern cabs: the large door mirrors tend to block the front three.quarter view.
After the near silence of the vee-eight engine in the Topline cab, the P-cab is something of a contrast. Noise levels are generally low, but the lower mounted cab brings the driver closer to the engine, which is the source of most noise in the cab. Wind noise around the front corners of the cab was also apparent on occasion.
• SUMMARY
There is little doubt that the 4-Series P-cab is a vast improvement over its 3-Series predecessor. It's bigger and better in most respects. The new 12-litre engine demonstrated the potential for some impressive fuel consumption figures and even in its lowest rated form it kept 40 tonnes moving at an acceptable pace. It's not the fastest Scania on the road, but it has all the driver appeal associated with the blue badge. At a list price of 455,625 (ex-VAT) the Scania is pretty keenly priced against most of its competitors. Many are listed at around £10,000 higher and only the Volvo FL10 360 undercuts it, at £50,500. As usual, this depends on how much importance you attach to list prices. In short, it has the ingredients to keep both fleet buyers and drivers smiling.
E by John Kendall