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Spanish Armada sales
Page 16
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• With the entry of Spain into the EC and the purchase of Seddon Atkinson by the Spanish truck and bus builder Pegaso, the biennial Barcelona Motor Show is increasingly important. Since 1986, Pegaso has undertaken a major programme of expansion on the Continent, setting up in France and Benelux with further incursions planned into Italy and Germany by 1992.
It is also eyeing up the UK market, as revealed by Commercial Motor at the Turin Show (CM 20-26 April).
Pegaso's Troner, or "Thunder", premium heavy truck range has the same basic cab as the Leyland Daf 95 Series and the Seddon Atkinson Strato — all three versions are produced at the Daf/F'egaso Cabtec plant in Madrid.
But, unlike the Strato with its traditional Cummins/Fuller/ Rockwell driveline, the Troner comes with Pegaso's own, four-valves-per-cylinder 12-litre engine. This is coupled to a Spanish-built ZF synchromesh gearbox with premium items such as ABS and a fully-airsuspended drive axle.
Spain has been running at the 40-tonne limit for some time, and even allows it on four axles in the form of an 8x2 rigid which represents a large proportion of top-weight Spanish trucks. Local hauliers wanting an artic invariably go for a 2+3 combination, with Spain's 13-tonne drive-axle limit helping to alleviate any problems with second-axle overloading.
Despite all the glitter at Barcelona, there aren't many new trucks to be found on Spanish roads. With interest rates of around 16%, the average age of a Spanish HGV is 10 years — significantly older than a comparable truck in the UK.
However, Spanish TIR operators are benefitting from the upward trend in international traffic, with a lot more goods leaving Spain than entering. With Spanish-built trucks and Spanish hauliers heading towards the UK in increasing numbers, it looks as if a second Armada could be getting underway. Pegaso's "Technology Demonstrator" stole the Troner's thunder at Barcelona. Based on a conventional 12-litre Troner chassis, the technology testbed has an all-composite cab, with plug-type coach doors, and a "ring main" system of locallised microprocessor units capable of controlling functions such as ABS, axle traction or, in theory, a reactive suspension system.
The futuristic interior includes a computer-based navigation/route-mapping system and space-age dash, with an aircraft-style steering column. Rearview mirrors are replaced by video monitors. It weighs under 6,000kg.
A Seddon Atkinson Strato was also on the Pegaso stand, help ing to emphasize the family connection. Although the most powerful engine available in the Strato is currently the 298kW (400hp) Super E Cummins unit, Seddon has confirmed that it is evaluating the latest F965 14-litre Cummins block, which might be offered in the Strato from the first quarter of next year. . . but "no earlier".
Iveco Ford launched a facelifted Turbo Daily at Barcelona. British buyers will have a long wait for the right-hand-drive version, however — it is not expected to surface here before November's Scottish show.
Changes to the vehicle include a more aerodynamic nose, an updated interior, and revisions to the turbo-diesel engine.
The factory now offers a grand total of 95 basic variants of the Daily/Turbo Daily, but Iveco Ford will restrict itself to eight turbo models in this country — chassis-cab (short and long wheelbase), high-roof van and high-cube van, in 4.5 and 5.0 tonne GVW forms.
Van operators will welcome the increase in the width of the side sliding door (to accept metre-wide pallets) and the lengthening of the shortwheelbase models.
Since the joint venture agreement was signed in July 1986, Iveco Ford has sold 2,751 Turbo Dailies in the UK, with the 49.10 chassis cab the most popular variant, particularly with PSV bodybuilders.
This tri-axle, air-suspended, all-aluminium platform semitrailer, built by local trailer maker Lecinena of Zaragosa, tips the scales at 3,900kg, but without any decking fitted.
The 12.5m trailer has 15R22.5/385/65 singles on alloy wheels and the I-beam chassis design uses conventional crossmembers.
Renault Truck Industries' most-powerful right-hand-drive C-range tractor is currently the G290, but RTI is planning to bring in the G320, driven by the 243kW (326hp) MIDR 06.20.45-H engine before the end of the year — possibly with a debut at the Scottish Motor Show.
It will provide a lightweight alternative to the larger cab Rrange tractor, rated at 231272kW (310-365hp).
Bosch's electronic-dieselcontrol system (EDC) is slowly gaining favour with truck builders. Scania is using it on its 14-litre vee-eight engine in the 143-470 3-Series tractor, and Volvo is also evaluating it on several F12 tractors.
MAN will shortly be getting in on the act too, with its own Engine Management System (EMS), which is expected to be officially launched at the end of the summer.