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CONSTRUCTION PROJECT
Page 58
Page 59
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ivecois long-term range revamp has finaliy reached the ultra competitive construction sector; Colin Barnett escaped a British autumn with a jaunt to Sicily to drive the Trakker.
It's now nearly two and a half years since the Straits Active Space burst onto the scene, heralding the much needed rejuvenation of Iveco's truck line-up.We've since had Active Time and Active Day heavies and the new Eurocargo middleweights, but only now have its construction products been updated.
While the new lightweight range changed its name from Cargo to Eurocargo, the EuroTrakker has become plain old Trakker. Go figure, as they say in the colonies. Iveco staged its pan-European press launch of the new Trakker on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. The significance of this venue wasn't too obvious until we arrived, to find a challenging test route had been laid out.We started with a spell in a working granite quarry, followed by an on-road climb to the tourist resort of Nicolosi Nord at altitude of 1,910m before heading off road again, through the lava fields, to the upper cable car station at 2,500m.
The Trakker range has a proud heritage,with a direct lineage from the highly respected Maginis-Deutz family. Like its German rival, the Mercedes-Benz Axor relaunched a week earlier, the principal change from Eurotrakker to Trakker is the cab update,The three versions —2.3m-wide day cab and low and high-roof sleeper cabs — are straight out of the Stralis AD and AT ranges.Their suitability for off-highway work is enhanced by a three-piece steel bumper, recessed headlamps and a flexible lower step.The cab is carried on four steel coil springs, dealer adjustable, with lateral location by a Panhard rod.
Inside, all is familiar from the Stralis, even down to the red cloth, although wipe-clean vinyl is an option.A high-spec air suspension seat with integral seat-belt is standard, as is a multi-function steering wheel, although the Stralis full-colour driver information display is downgraded to monochrome for the Trakker.
Also standard for the UK is the 12-speed Eurotronic automated transmission,cruise control and engine brake, with a ZF Intarder an option.The Eurotronic has a new manoeuvring mode, giving improved fine control at low speed.Adoption of the Stralis's CAN-bus wiring system allows a raft of enhanced features, such as electronic PTO management.
Engines are also familiar, being the well proven Cursor 8 and 13 units.The in-between Cursor 10 is left out as it is said to be optimised for on-highway operation.The 7.8-litre Cursor 8 comes rated at 268,306 and 347hp;the 12.9litre Cursor 13 offers 375,434 and 473hp.The highest rating available is 473hp as these cabs lack the extra underfloor cooling space of the big Active Space cab.All the engines share an impressive torque spread.
UK operators will choose between 4x4. 6x4 and 8x4 configurations; the line-up of 16 models includes three dedicated mixer platforms. Models destined for other sectors include 4x2 and 8x8 rigids and a range of tractors up to 6x6.
All versions get disc brakes up front with drums at the rear.Three rear suspension choices include an eight-bag air bogie, and semi-elliptic and parabolic steel springs (the parabolic set-up is said to save 100kg on an eight-legger).Hub reduction comes as standard, with a single reduction option due to follow in a few months.The new Trakker is no lighter than its predecessor so its appeal is fixed at the heavy duty end of the UK market.
As reported (CM 11 November), Iveco is working on a lighter version which will be sold here as a Seddon Atkinson from early 2006. Orders for the newTrakker are being taken now, priced around 4% higher than the EuroTrakker, with full production scheduled by February. Iveco now has a complete range of youngish products to give it the platform it needs to continue building its sales.
Impressions
All the Trakkers at the launch event were Cursor 13-powered, so our impressions of the small engine must wait.Also, they were all fitted with day cabs and ran on parabolic springs, so we probably had the best of the range in terms of comfort. Iveco claims in-cab noise levels are down by six decibels.That's a huge reduction, and it's now very quiet.With three layers of springing, from chassis, cab and seat, it's also very comfortable off-road.
Off-road.we tried an AD 410T 48 an 8x4 with a nominal 480hp.The Eurotronic box certainly proved the suitability of self-changing gears for tipper work.
Most of the time it can be left to its own devices but when conditions demand manual control, it's just a switch flick away It also means there's much more likelihood of using the correct gear to make the most of the engine brake.Any UK operator who passes up the -free" Eurotronic must want his tappets adjusting.
It goes without saying that with 480hp at 32 tonnes power is not an issue and the same goes for our second drive, of an AD 260T 38: a six-wheeler with 380hp.The ZF 16-speeder manual box, while doing the job adequately, only underlined the case for the auto. •