Smooth Volvo cab is spotted
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EXCLUSIVE hy Jolui Kendall and Alan Bunting • Volvo's new heavy truck cab has been captured on film (below) for the first time in the UK without disguises or crash bars.
The cab, which looks rather like the Finnish Sisu cab, is due to replace the 15-year-old F-cab within the next year. At a time when many truck manufacturers are producing boxy cabs the new Volvo cabin is strikingly aerodynamic, with smooth flowing lines. This example carries no identification but the familiar Volvo gearlever gives the game away Volvo delayed launching the Geartronic automated manual transmission in right-handdrive until the new cab was ready.
It is taller than the F12 snapped next to it, as is shown by the shallower angle of the roof spoiler. This implies extra headroom and storage space in the standard roof cab, but a "Globetrotter" high-roof cab is still expected to be part of the new cab range.
Air deflectors are missing from the cab front corners and it is not clear whether these will be fitted on production models. Black paint has been used to obscure the angled door panels and side window lines, but there's no concealing the new mirror designs: the familiar heavy brackets are replaced by lighter folding arms.
The passenger side mirror housing incorporates the wide angle mirror and it seems likely that both sides are electrically adjustable.
Dominated The dashboard is dominated by a large central box, similar to the heater housing in the Daf 95 cab. Although we couldn't see clearly. it's expected that the Volvo "dogleg" instrument panel will continue in the new model.
As well as established 10 and 16-litre engines, the new model will be the first to use Volvo's new 12.7-litre engine which is Europe's first truck diesel with mechanically actuated unit-injectors.
The engine is due to arrive in June, which makes that the most likely date for the launch of the new vehicle.
The 12.7-litre engine will also be fitted in more powerful versions of the F12 chassis, increasing its maximum power by 15% to around 450hp (336kW).
The new 12.7-litre engine has the same bore and cylinder spacing as the F12's existing TD123, hut with a longer stroke and a four-valve head with the injectors positioned vertically and centrally to optimise the injector spray pattern. Volvo has experience of four-valve technology on the 16-litre F16 engine. side the US to specify Lucas ELTI electronic injectors. Lucas makes the electronically controlled injectors in a 140m plant opened recently at Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.
The injectors offer pressures up to1,750bar, says Lucas chief engineer George Frankl, which is higher than any rivals and will
help Volvo to meet tougher Euro 2 emission standards with minimal fuel consumption penalty.
Injectors from the Stonehouse plant will also be fitted in a reengineered version of Caterpillar's biggest truck engine, the 14.6-litre 3406, used by Foden. It will be launched in the US in time for the 1994 round of emissions regs.