GOOD VALUE
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The Iveco EuroStar is quiet, roomy and comfortable. Used values were dented by new vehicle discounts but it's proved to be pretty good in service and therefore good value on the used truck market.
• Following in the wake of New Cargo and EuroTech, EuroStar 4x2 and 6x2 tractive units completed a new product line-up in which the Iveco had invested £2.5bn. The EuroStar was launched on the Continent in 1993; it took a couple of years for UK models to arrive. Iveco says the EuroStar was developed for heavyduty and long-distance work with an eye to minimising operating costs, particularly fuel consumption, and special attention was paid to the aerodynamic properties of the new cab.
• EVOLUTION
Already two years old by the time it arrived on UK forecourts, the impact of Iveco's big cab was rather diminished by later models from Daf, MAN, Scania and Volvo which had already established the standards by which similar cabs would be judged. Iveco's new-generation full-width cab has a rounded front profile which is most pronounced in the curvature of the roof. It was introduced with a medium
Iveco's vee-eight marine engines generate Iveco's vee-eight marine engines generate over 1,000hp so, for road Use, delivering just 508hp , at 1,900rpm is hardly stressful If the power impresses you, check out the torque—it Peaks at 2,200Nm at 1,100rpm and stays over 2,000Nm for virtually the entire operational range, until the revs climb above 1,800rpm. As you can imagine you don't need too many gears The Euro Star 520 we tested in 1995 was fitted with Eaton's 12-speed SAMT (semi-automated mechanical transmission). Cummins' 14-litre engine had set the standard for the 500hp class, returning Z93mpg overall including 8.73mpg over the tough motorway section. Surprisingly Iveco's vee-eight came pretty close with 7.58mPg overall and 8.48mpg on the motorway, easily bettering both the Mercedes-Benz 14.62-litre 1850 and Sanlia's 14.2-litre 143.500. Out on the road it was go, go, go with the big vee-eight taking hills in its stride Response to the drive-by-wire accelerator was not as smooth and progressive as we would have liked, and in the wet all that torque brought the ASR antiwheelspin control into use on one of the steeper hills. Twin exhaust brakes gave a little extra engine braking from the two banks of cylinders but they couldn't compare with a proprietary transmission or engine brake on steeper downhill
1 sections. Quick it might have been but light it wasn't. This 520 gave away up to 700kg in payload to some of its competitors.
Despite air suspension on both axles the cab did not roll much through the bends and all traces of nodding, experienced on earlier models, had been rectified. The tallest Alto cab was roomy, with Plenty of stowage space The specification included a small fridge which doubled as a step to the top bunk but, with the document case, it did hamper cross-cab movement. Instrumentation included diagnostic equipment but the lack of cruise control seemed odd for a top-of-the-range vehicle Tight panel gaps and a rattle-free interior sent out all the right signals, spoilt only by rather cheap-looking plastic mouldings.
height roof as standard and a high-roof option; a low roof has since been added. Extensive use of SMC (sheet moulded compound) panels has helped keep the weight in check as well as providing insulation and rust protection in the most vulnerable areas. Inside, the spec includes goodies such as heated variable-rate suspension seats and computerised climate control, which long-haul operators tend to see as a necessity more than a luxury.
Instrumentation on the wrap-round dash includes monitors for fluid levels and lighting circuits; the wide-opening doors feature central locking and the mirrors are heated. Daily checks can be made under the front grille and raising the cab through 72° might have been speeded up by a power tilt, but this has been dropped due to lack of demand.
The filler strip between the cab and bumper, previously prone to damage as the cab was tilted, was modified last year. Improved seals, fitted to the ventilation grille at the rear, prevent the ingress of water from high pressure washers, while better sealing for the external locker keeps even the smell of diesel outside where it belongs. Simple rubber strips divert water on lower roof models away from the ckx)rs and an extra damper improves the stability of the high-roof model during tilting. Tough sheathing provides extra protection to the cables running under the cab. On early models a charge-cooled 13.8-litre straight-six was offered at 415hp as a low power alternative to the huge 17.2-litre vee eight which is rated at 508hp but cuts some 300kg off the payload potential. This clearly left a gap that was filled last year with a 470hp version of the six-cylinder engine. The veeeight met Euro-2 from October 1996.
Sixteen-speed ZF Ecosplit synchromesh, and 12-speed Eaton constant-mesh Twin Splitter gearboxes offer a choice of transmission which is now supplemented by ZF's ASTronic semi-automatic system with Iveco's light 9.5-litre 380hp and bigger 470hp units. Making use of these engines' electronic control to match layshaft speeds the main box dispenses with synchronisers, saving about 50kg.
Depending on the choice of transmission Iveco offers the option of Voith or ZF Intarder transmission retarders. Air suspension is standard at the rear of the chassis but full-air suspension is available for low-height models.
• OPERATORS
After spending several years driving on international work for someone else, Peter Locket returned home, bought an MAN tractive unit for £4,500 and set to work on general haulage as an owner-driver. That was 15 years ago. Based in Milton Keynes his company, RPL Transport, became a limited company in 1992 and now has 30 top-weight artics. Most of the vehicles are Ivecos although he also runs seven Scania 4-Series and two Volvo FH 340s.
"When I wanted to replace my first truck I approached the local Volvo dealer with the intention of trading up," says Locket, "but they weren't interested in taking in my old MAN. A friend suggested that I try the Iveco dealer, Hartwell Trucks, at Dunstable. I bought a new 190-30 from them on finance and I've stayed mostly with Iveco ever since.
"I ordered my two EuroStar 380s almost a year before they were due in the country but Iveco were late on delivery so that's when I bought the two Volvo FHs," he add& "However, I did take the EumStars when they arrived about two years ago. We run on six axles but we don't buy Iveco's 6x2 tractive units—we have the 4x2 chassis converted with the Granning mid-lift axle by EuroAxle of Stokeon-Trent. They use 275/70 tyres on 22.5 rims which gives a bit extra clearance. With the conversion I think we paid about £51,000 so there is a good saving. Volvos and Scanias are definitely a lot more expensive. Anyone who knocks Iveco usually operates something else and invariably points to the residual values; but you can't expect to win out at both ends.
"We do our own maintenance and the EuroStars are as reliable as anything else we operate," Locket reports. "Soon after they were was delivered we did have a problem with one: an injector kept popping out of its sleeve. Hartwell tried to cure it but it had to have a new head, which was not readily available. Across the board parts prices are competitive but the dealers don't seem to carry as much stock as we would like. When we needed a £200 air valve they had to order it—we told them to get us two so it wouldn't keep the truck off the road again. For a while we also had trouble with front discs getting hot and cracking, and now they're getting older we get the odd problem with the lights when wires short out under the cab. The trim around the bottom of the cab tends to chafe.
"Roadside assistance used to be very good but since they have gone to Green Flag, over the last year, the service has gone downhill," he says. "The trucks run about 120,000km a year and we expect to turn them around after four years. On some of our contracts we cube out at about 17 to 18 tonnes gross but fuel consumption is not good. Fuel accounts for 28% of our turnover: the EuroStar 380s are only returning 8.5mpg while the Volvo FHs are giving us 10.5mpg on the same work. Across the fleet that could make a difference of about £75.000 a year to our bottom line.
"The bigger cab makes the EuroStar a much better truck to drive than the EuroTechs," he says. They are more roomy, the cab's air suspension gives a better ride and they are quieter. The drivers like them, but they do get more spray up alongside the cab than with the EuroTech. We specify the Eaton Twin Splitter, which I think is a lovely box, but it doesn't always suit drivers who only have experience of full synchromesh transmissions. The EuroStar is a good truck and 380hp suits our operation. We don't really need any more power, but Iveco must get its act together and improve the efficiency of the 98-litre engine. Like the rest of the industry we work on small margins and can't afford to ignore the fuel issue we're already looking at alternatives. Both the Renault Premium and Daf XF have given very good results: Felgate Services resides in the shadow of the Dartford Bridge at Truck World, Purfleet. The company was founded in 1982 by managing director Ernie Felgate and carries general goods for freight forwarder throughout Western Europe.
Felgate operates 25 vehicles. Ten are Ivecos, including four EuroStar 420s which he has on a lease contract. Others vehicles include Scania R113.380s with the Topline/Streamline cab and Renault Magnums which are rented from Riverside Vehicles.
Felgate explains: "Renting gives us flexibility at a fixed cost. We can keep them for a month, or a year, or whatever we decide (the lease on the four EuroStars is for three years). We took them with the 13.8-litre engine because that what was available at the time we wanted them. The price was a factor in our choice, and that included Iveco's millennium maintenance package for £3,000. It covers everything except glass and rubber and seemed gtiod value within the overall package.
"They all have top-spec cabs, which includes air conditioning and a fridge," he adds. "The drivers like them. They give the space and comfort they want inside and that's important today We're happy with the fuel consumption; it's working out at between 8.5 and 9.0mpg, which is about the same as we get from the Magnum and 0.5mpg better than the returns for the Scanias. The EuroStars are the best vehicles on the fleet for reliability.
"Local backup from Stormont, our local dealer, is good," says Felgate. "They pay a lot of attention to detail and the availability of p. • parts seems to have improved.
mg suits our
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type of operation.
have had a recurring electrical fault on one of them—so far it has had three fuse boards. The last time I lost my lights at two o'clock one morning just outside of Paris. Green Flag breakdown service got to me within an hour. They effected a temporary repair so that I could get back to the ferry and we let Stormont sort it out when I got home. Otherwise they have all been reliable; there hasn't been anything to keep us off the road.
"The residual values on Ivecos are crap but that's not a problem I have to worry about having the EuroStars on lease," he concludes.
Workshop manager Trevor Horton looks after a fleet of 90 trucks for Langdon Industries, which specialises in refrigerated transport and warehousing It's a mixed fleet, with Volvo, Scania, Renault and Mercedes represented alongside some 27 Ivecos.
"We've operated a couple of EuroStars over the past 18 months, both with owner-drivers," says Horton." One is a 420 and the other a 380hp model. Both cover about 16,000km a month but the bigger engine is more economical on fuel. It's returning about 9.00mpg while the 380hp model is only managing 8.16mpg. We buy them over three years with a guaranteed buyback at a fixed percentage of the original purchase price— whether we win or lose out slightly depends on the state of the market at the time.
"We have no big complaints with the EuroStars," Horton adds. "We had a few minor electrical faults with wires shorting out early on, and the disc brakes get hot and crack. We've replaced them three times now on one of them but Iveco has stood by its product. We have only had to pay for the pads...and the downtime, of course. With drums at the rear the discs provide a high proportion of the braking effort: I don't think a solution to the problem will be found without fitting some form of retarder.
"The cabs stand up very well," he adds. "I've heard no complaints from the drivers about comfort. Both EuroStars have 4x2 chassis so we run the front axles on Michelin 315 tyres to give a 7.5-tonne capacity. That keeps them legal with the heavy front overhang of the fridge trailers. We're already operating 6x2 Scanias and Mercedes, so for any future EuroStars we will also be looking at a mid-lift axle. The clutch on the 380 lasted 300,000km, which is about the same as we get from the
There hove been some problems with overheating front discs.
Renaults and Scanias. The Volvos are lasting around double that but on a slightly different type of operation. Parts prices are about average and the backup from Abbey Hill, Iveco's local main dealer, is as good as any."
• DEALERS
Chris Shaw is the used truck sales manager for Sherwood, which is an Iveco Ford main dealer based at Blackwell, near Junction 28 on the MI, with outlets at Sheffield and Nottingham. The company has a franchise for Iveco and Seddon Atkinson, while its used truck stock includes up to 30 vehicles at 7.5 tonnes and above.
"Most customers go for the 13.8-litre engine on the EuroStar," says Shaw. "Ifs a strong unit and you would be unlucky to have to do anything major at less than 600,000Icm. With 420hp it has enough power for most jobs and as a straight-six it's less complicated and gives better fuel consumption than the bigger, 520hp vee-eight. The 9.8-litre unit at 380hp is also a good seller but it's more usually to be found on the smaller-cabbed EuroTech models.
"The EuroStar has full-size cab with a high specification which appeals to long-haul operators who find the equivalent Scanias and Volvos too expensive," he explains. -The highroof Alto cab is specified for 90% of models, and there isn't a lot that you can add to it.
The choice of transmission is split about 50/50 between the Eaton Twin Splitter box and the ZF 16-speed synchromesh transmission," he adds. "Fleet operators tend to go for the synchromesh box. A lot of customers ask for 6x2 chassis because they're cheaper to run. There are more 4x2 models about though, and most of the 6x2s are mid-lift conversions. There's more room on the 4x2 to fit a big 600litre fuel tank used by some international drivers. A 1995 M-reg 4x2 420 will retail at about £30,000 but a 520 will probably cost a bit less. You can add about £4,500 for a 6x2 version."
If you're into truck racing you'll know the name Chris Hodge. Last year he took on the top truck manufacturers in Europe with a truck he built himself—and won_ But he hasn't given up the day job of selling used trucks. Located just south of the River Thames at Greenwich, Chris Hodge Trucks carries a stock of up to 500 vehicles which must make this one of the largest used-truck outlets in the country.
"We get more EuroTechs than EuroStars for sale" says Hodge. "I don't have too much experience of the big vee-eight engine but the 420 is the one which is generally preferred. At nearly 14 litres it doesn't have to work hard and fuel consumption is quite good, The driveline is well proven—the ZF box offers more gears and it's fully synchromesh which makes it slightly more desirable than the Eaton Twin Splitter. Disc brakes still give a few problems but I'm sure it's the way to go. They're specified at the front and give good stopping power.
"The cab is big and spacious with the high roof and it's quite well trimmed," he adds. "Air suspension makes it very comfortable and air conditioning is standard. It's a well rounded truck, suitable for long-haul operations. If it's been looked after it offers good value for money in the used truck market. Availability fluctuates from one week to the next, but 4x2 chassis are generally more plentiful. For a good example you can expect to pay about £35,000 to £37,000 for a 4x2 on an N plate."
• SUMMARY
Iveco's reputation for reliability and durability has improved over the years, but due to heavily discounted prices from the factory the marque has yet to lose its cheap-to-buy image, and retains low secondhand values, but don't be put off by that.
The EuroStar's cab offers as high a specification as any and is quiet, roomy and comfortable. With few complaints other than minor electrical faults and the occasional cracked disc the mechanical specification represents good value for the second time buyer.
Of the earlier models the 420 offers the only compromise in power between the 380 and 520, and brings the best fuel consumption. Most early 6x2 chassis were not supplied by Iveco but were converted with mid lift axles. D by Bill Brock SPECIFICATIONS
MODEL: Iveco EuroStar ID 400E52T 4x2 high-roof, twin-bunk sleeper-cab tractive unit.
Design GCW: 44 tonnes.
Design GVW: 18.0 tonnes.
Manufacturer: Iveco Ford Truck, Iveco Ford House, Station Road, Watford WD1 15R.
BRAKING SYSTEM: Dual-circuit, ABS, full air system. Parking: Spring brake actuators on drive axle.
STEERING: ZF 8098 hydraulic variable-rate power assistance.
ENGINE: Iveco 8280, Evro-2 charge-cooled diesel. Cylinders: Eight, in vee configuration.
Capacity: 17.18 litres.
Maximum net power: 508hp (378kW) at 1,900rpm. Maximum net torque: 1,6231bft (2,200Nm) at 1,100rpm. CHASSIS: Ladder construction with riveted and bolted cross-members. Suspension: Full air suspension on front and rear axles with anti-roll bar and shock absorbers. Wheelbase: 3.8m. Wheels and tyres: 22.5in alloy rims with 295/80 R 22.5 tyres.
Fuel tank: 600 litres.
TRANSMISSION: Eaton TS16612 12-speed SAMT box with 432mm-diameter single dry plate clutch. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 24V.
Batteries: 2x170Ah. Alternator: 55A.
PARTS PRICES
Manufacturer's prices (retail ex-VAT).
Laminated windscreen £295.71 Injector set (six, service exchange) £390.24 Piston liner set (eight) £2,810.00 Rear spring brake chamber £295.19 Complete headlamp unit £51.59 Wiper blades,(complete set) £31.20 Engine oil filter £48.63 Complete clutch assembly (exchange) £505.80 Door mirror (complete) £156.27
WORKSHOP TIMES
Manufacturer's standard workshop hours Remove and replace clutch assembly 9.2 Remove and replace one injector 0.4 Replace head gasket (one of eight) 6.8 Replace brake shoes/pads, front and rear 5.8 Remove and replace engine 21.3 Remove and replace gearbox 7.9 Renew engine oil Filter(s) 0.3
ROADTESTS
EuroStar 520 21.12.1995 WORKSHOP WAYS TurboStar 480 March 1990 EuroTech Sept 1993