Geneva Show message is: Swiss role is different
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The year's first commercial vehicle exhibition reveals just how far away we are from harmonisation in Europe, reports Steve Gray
THIS year's Geneva Show, which closes tomorrow (Sunday), highlights just how far we are away from harmonisation in Europe.
Although not in the ECC, like the Germans the Swiss seem to work to their own set of rules. In their case, these include a requirement for a maximum width of 2.3 metres (7.5ft) for use on certain roads, a high auxiliary brake performance either by means of a retarder or an exhaust brake, special sound insulation and extra marker lights.
Thus the Geneva Show, held for the first time at the impressive new Palais des Expositions (Palexpo) close by Geneva airport and the World Trade Centre, is very much a Swiss affair.
To the British operators' eyes some of the vehicles on show look quite bizarre. For example, there's an Irvine-built F12, which is fitted with a narrow F7 cab jacked up on the chassis and fitted with narrow wings and a different floor pan. There are four basic versions available to Swiss operators — a 4x2 rigid or tractive unit, a 6x4 and an 8x4.
The F12 chassis with the .TD120G engine was chosen for the models to comply with a 10bhp/tonne requirement. And to meet a maximum noise level of 88dBA there is a special sound insulation package and revised exhaust and cooling systems. Volvo calls its special Swiss vehicles the CH230 range and expects to sell a further 138 variants in 1982.
All heavyweight Volvos on sale in Switzerland have Luggerline engines and are subject to the improved anti-corrosion techniques. In addition to the narrow cab versions of the F12 — there are F4, F6, F7 and N12 vehicles which meet the width requirement Volvo also sells the standard F12 for international haulage. Volvo's latest acquisition, White Trucks, is also exhibiting at the Geneva Show. A Road Boss with obligatory narrow cab is on display — minus Volvo badging — and its slimmer bonnet sports just two headlights rather than the more normal four.
Another bonneted vehicle, the T-Series, from the other Swedish maker, Scania, is being offered in slimline form, for Switzerland. Again the bonnet — of grp construction — has been reduced in width along with the wings. Although the same chassis frame is used on all these vehicles, obviously narrower axles are needed.
Scania has used Switzerland to introduce its P112H 8x4, which has the heavy-duty chassis and is available in gross weights of 30 or 33 tonnes, depending on the type of bogie selected. Using the same basic components as the P112H 8x2 chassis, with the exception of a balance-beam-type tandem bogie, the 8x4 has three diff locks.
British manufacturers are represented in Switzerland by Bedford and Ford. The latter is showing the Cargo with its new Dover engine range encompassing outputs from 66kW (89bhp) to 114kW (153bhp). For Switzerland, Ford has had to add a noise insulation shielding pack and side marker lights.
The Escort van is now being sold in Switzerland, too, and Ford has on display the almost obligatory cruise van, this time based on the Escort. Said to be a cross between the Ghia and XR3 car versions, the XRV is equipped with a carpeted load • area and two sleeping berths.
Ford is being cagey about whether it intends to manufacture the XRV, simply saying that it depends on the interest generated.•
Specification changes have been made to the Transit for 1982 including rear fog lights, dashboard clock, a trip counter and other detail modifications. According to Ford, fuel consumpti.on too has been improved by nine per cent. A special economy version — the
1600E van or bus — is offered which has a simplified standard of equipment and is based on the FT100 model.
An articulated tractive unit version of the A-Series is also on the Ford stand which is designed to meet the Swiss requirement for small urban delivery vehicles.
General Motors seems to have the opposite problem to most other European manufacturers. Rather than bringing everything under the same single name, such as Bedford, it uses the names of both lsuzu and Opel. Thus the KB pick-up, which for Britain is badged Bedford, is known in Switzerland by its true name.
A newcomer at Geneva is the Isuzu TLD which fills the gap between Bedford's CF van and the TK/TL range of medium vehicles. Fitted with a 2.8 litre diesel engine which develops 55kW (75bhp) at 5,000rpm, its fivespeed gearbox is controlled by a column-mounted lever. The TLD range has gross weights of between 4.4 and 5.5 tonnes.
Bedford is trying to wean Swiss operators away from the long serving TK onto the TL and to this end is only showing the latter model, Two versions, the TL1000 and TL1020 feature the latest detail specification improvements for 1982. These include insulated gear lever with improved double construction gear-lever gaiter and a repositioned air intake to reduce cab noise levels on Blue Series engined vehicles.
Bedford also has on display examples from the CF range which includes a touring club recovery vehicle built and equipped by the Swiss bodybuilder Gruenenfelder.
Switzerland's indigenous vehicle builder, Saurer, has naturally chosen the Geneva Show to introduce its new models. The D250 is a 4x2 chassis with a gross weight of 16 tonnes which is fitted with a 184kW (250bhp) power unit. It is designed for distribution work and public utilities.
Second of the new Saurers is a 4x4 forward-control tipper chassis designed for on/off-road ap plication. A choice of either 20 6kW (280bhp) or 232 kW (315bhp) engines los available.
Another 4x4 from the Swiss maker is a go-anywhere personnel carrier which has been undergoing trials with the Swiss army.
Saurer is also a bus manufacturer and has introduced a twoaxled bus chassis along with an articulated chassis with either one or two motors. The two-axled version has 110kW (147bhp) power while the articulated one has one engine giving 160kW (214bhp) or two each putting out 100kW (134bhp).
Saurer is also offering the ABS anti-lock brake system as an option on some of its vehicles.
The Japanese seem to be making their mark with light vehicles in Switzerland just as they are in the rest of Europe.
Making its debut in Geneva is the Datsun Vanette, which will eventually be imported into the UK. It has a 1,487cc petrol engine which develops 51.4kW (68bhp) at 5,200rpm. Front sus pension is independent with live rear axle mounted on sem elliptic leaf springs. The loa volume of the Vanette i 4.75cum (168cuft).
Another light vehicle makin its show debut is the Fiat Ducal designed for payload capacitiE between 750 and 1,300kg (1,6E and 2,8651b). The Ducat° manufactured at the Sevel plai in the Sangro valley which wE designed and built especially 1 produce this vehicle. PSA (Pe geot Citroen} is a partner in tt project and it too is showir both Peugeot and Citroe badged vehicles.
Seven basic models can be e. panded to 16 variants and the
are three engine options — 1,8( or 2,000cc petrol and 2,5001 diesel. All are transverse mounted and drive the fro wheels.
Fiat is also introducing its p trol engined Daily (describE more fully on pages 54-55 in th issue) at Geneva. For this mark it goes under the name of IveE Grinta.