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Plenty of room on top
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Page 17
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We reckon Scania's long-awaited high-roof P Highline cab option may well. be a 'slow-burner', but just watch it grow...
Words: Brian Weatherley MY, HOW TIME flies. When Scania provided truck journalists with an early preview of its Euro-5 EGR engine range in September 2007, it also unveiled two new cab variants — the G range and the P Highline. The G cab ('Slap-bang in the middle', CM 10 April 2008) is very much an In-betweenie for operators looking for a higher (and bigger) cab than on the P range. but without splashing out for the largest R-cab.
At the time of its launch, some observers unkindly suggested that the G range was to be the answer to a question no one had asked. Yet some 371 right-hand drive G-cab trucks have been ordered since its launch, although CM reckons the 0-cab's greatest potential, and natural home, is actually on an eight-wheeler rather than a tractor.
We were (and still are) more persuaded by the market potential for the P .1 lighline'. Ironically. Scania hasn't always seen the need for a high-roof P cab. Until recently, Volvo has had a clear run in the market with its Globetrotter FM. It wasn't until Scania's Dutch importer Beers (no doubt frustrated by the lack of action from Sadertalje) bought out its own high-roof conversion on a P-cab that Scania's marketeers appeared to take any notice. The latest P Highline. however, is clear confirmation that the Swedes do see a place for a factory-built high-roof P cab in their modular range. Better late than never...
Great potential
Although the P Highline was unveiled over a year ago, only 52 examples have been ordered by UK operators so far. Nevertheless, we were keen to reacquaint ourselves with the product, not least to see if we still felt the same way about it as we did at the launch. And the good news is that we do.
P Highline is a truck with great potential, and not just with the big fleets looking to retain drivers and maintain residual values.
So what does it offer'? With a Highline top on the 'regular' P sleeper, you get an extra 200mm of headroom over the fairly high engine hump, plus another 240mm above the passenger footwell. All of which means there's more room for drivers to stand up when dressing and also when they're sitting on the P Highline's raised single bunk — by far the most sensible configuration for any UK sleeper cab. The taller roof moulding also provides extra top locker space —143 vs the 111 litres in a regular P sleeper. Since the initial P Highlinc launch, Scania has added lockable cupboards throughout the headlining in place of the open ones with nets. Why should CM be so enthusiastic over the P Highline? Value for money; for the extra £1,740 there's a negligible weight penalty — just 17kg. Second, that extra roof will help support a P-Cab Scania's value in the used market — not least if it is bought by a small operator looking to keep its overnighters onside. Third, and perhaps most important from a marketing perspective, it finally provides Scania with a head-on rival to the Globetrotter FM (recently enhanced with the LXL version), as well as other comparable 'tall but slim' fleet favourites such as the Daf CF85 Space Cab and Renault Premium 'Route'.
And this has been done without compromising the P-cab's existing attributes. In particular, for a distribution truck, it retains the well-laid-out two-step layout, but with the same deep treads as its higher-mounted G and R stablemates.
Unluckily, our attempts to drive a right-hand-drive P Highline demostrator were thwarted by the recent snowfalls, but we were at least able to spend an extended period inside a P380 High _ line tractor parked up at Scania's Milton Keynes HQ. and we remain impressed.
Storage solutions
Despite having a relatively high engine hump (in common with most other low-datum fleet sleepers), the uncluttered top means you can climb across it without too much of a struggle. And rather than surround it with carpet that will only get dirty, it has a robust heavy-duty, non-slip rubber covering.
Sitting on the raised bunk. the extra headroom is immediately apparent. Recent improvements to the Scania sleeper also include the option of sidewall storage units. However, Scania's trademark mattress, with separate foam fillets for the bed ends and zip-up sections for behind the seats remains — and it's about time it was replaced by a one-piece mattress. Why Sodertalje continues to soldier on with the design is a mystery.
But lift the bed and the storage space under it is positively voluminous for a fleet tractor. For someone spending a few nights away, there's no reason to have any "loose items' floating about — and even more so considering the P Highline's decent headliner storage space — since last month those headlining lockers all have lids, too.
For operators already looking at Euro-5 for a P-cab tractor there are nine-litre EGR options at 230,280 and 320hp, while the Scania's new 13-litre EGR engine makes its appearance in July at 400 and 360hp. In the meantime, a SCR 12-litre engine delivers 380hp (at Euro-5) or 420hp (Euro-5). And all 'Long Distance' Scania chassis come with the Opticruise auto as standard.