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Page 59
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Volvo took the wraps off its new FL and FE
medium-duty range at the Hanover Show in September — and we've now had the chance to try the tipper variants in right-hand drive.
Andy Salter reports
Despite its antiquated looks, basic cab interior and old-tech engines, the old Volvo FL range was popular with UK operators in all its guises — particularly as a four-wheeler. It was testimony to the original design that Volvo's engineers were able to squeeze so much value out of the FL rigids before the curtain finally came down.
The FL's replacement seems to have been a long time in the making but it has finally broken cover— and on the evidence to date it should be at least as popular as the outgoing model.
Unique offerings
It would be easy to say that the latest FL and FE are simply rebadged versions of the Midlum and Premium Distribution from Volvo's sister company Renault, but that would be missing the point of the great Volvo experiment. By Volvo we are referring in this instance to the Volvo AB parent rather
than Volvo Trucks, the sales and marketing company responsible for selling trucks with a Volvo badge.
Yes, it's a bit complicated, but it is important to decouple the Volvo AB parent company from the Volvo Trucks marketing enterprise. The current Volvo AB organisation is a very different beast to the company that took over Renault VI and Mack Trucks in January 2001.
Over the intervening five years the engineering effort of the companies has been unified so you now have one organisation building trucks at various plants around Europe.
'those trucks sport the badges of their respective brands but they are tailored to meet the expectations of Volvo or Renault customers. For instance, the FL and FE have a more rugged appearance than the Renault-badged versions and their power options differ. •