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OVER-CHROMED AND OVER HERE
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It's big, it's brash and there's one in Blighty We put on our cowboy boots and head for the Wild West of Warwick to drive the Volvo V1880.
The US-built VT880 is Volvo's attempt to persuade American owner-operators to do the unthinkable:trade-in their beloved Petes, Freightliners and Kennies.
While the Swedish truck manufacturer has made a huge impact on US fleets, its popular VN-Series just doesn't cut the mustard with the all-important owner-driver market.
So what does the image-conscious American owner-driver want in a truck? Most importantly, it must have plenty of brightwork. The truth is that just as moths are drawn to flames American truckers are hopelessly attracted to chrome, something the VT880's designers are only too aware of.This accounts for the huge bumper, ridiculously large grille, mirrors, exposed fuel tanks, side steps, wheels, dual chromed exhaust stacks and air intakes, all waiting to be polished.There's even a set of fake chrome wheel nuts. In fact all that's missing are those chrome `haulin ass' naked women silhouettes on the mud flaps.
Apparently Stateside owner-drivers also require a large bonnet, and the VT doesn't disappoint in this respect either. In order to give customers the long nose they require, its wheelbase was extended.This allowed Volvo's designers to move the front axle forward 300mm while shunting the cab backwards by 200mm. It's possible to do this in America as there is no legislation governing the overall length of a tractor—and not too many bends to drive around either.
Who cares if the finished result is a truck with the aerodynamics of a small terraced house? With diesel in the States costing just 45pflit, certainly not self-indulgent truckers.
Then there's those all-important cavernous living quarters to consider which, in the case of the VT, is a 1.96m sleeping pod.This equates to around 15m of living space, including a `dinette' that converts to a lower bunk, an upper bunk, table, lots of cabinets and a fridge. Spend a little more than the $130,000 (00,000) asking price and you can add a TV, microwave and, inevitably, the kitchen sink.
As to the quality of the interior,it's a mixture of good and had. Some parts of the sleeper compartment look as though they've been lovingly produced by master craftsmen, while others look as though they've been thrown together by the American equivalent of Blue Peter presenters.The finished result is a cross between a Volvo FH Globetrotter and the interior of an ageing caravan.
Despite having all that space to play with, the actual cab is narrower than an FH. Evidently it had to be cut down slightly to make way for those massive side steps.
The dashboard is all FH and, consequently, looks great.
Of course the final ingredient for success in the North American owner-driver market is a big engine, and once again the VT delivers the goods. Under that giant hood you'll find an EGR version of Volvo's 16-litre D16 engine, rated at 550hp or 625hp.
But Volvo has failed to convince all Americans to rely entirely on its own engines and in order to keep the traditionalists happy it also offers the Cummins 1SX.
This reluctance to embrace all-European drivelines is presumably why Volvo's I-Shift has yet to cross the Atlantic. So ironically the few VT buyers who want a two-pedal transmission are forced to take the home-grown 18-speed Eaton Fuller AutoShift.
On the road
The VT880 turns heads in America, so you can just imagine what effect it has over here. Jordan and Charlotte Church could have been wrestling naked in a tub of baked beans on the hard shoulder of the A46 and nobody would have noticed them as we drove by.
In fact it created a bit too much attention from some truck drivers, who veered dangerously close in an attempt to get a better view as we bobtailed down the M40. But one quick burst of acceleration was enough to get us out of trouble as the unlimited VT leapt into action.Trucks aren't governed to any particular speed in the US, which must make 625 horses incredibly appealing when the maximum GVW is just 36.2 tonnes.
While the acceleration is superb and the looks of admiration from the general public appreciated, these are the two best aspects of being behind the wheel of the VT.The driving experience is very similar to the external appearance—a leap back in time.
Firstly there's the ride, which is desperately poor compared with that of a European cabover tractor. Having said that, we know for a fact that the VT and its VN sibling are among the best riding trucks available in the US.
Then there's the sound deadening, or rather, lack of it. In an FH16 this engine is whisper quiet, but in the V'I' it's more of a bellow. Yet having spoken to colleagues in the US, we know that this is also considered one of the quietest trucks on the market.
Visibility is best described as appalling.The mirrors are close to useless and that giant square bonnet does a great job of hiding cars and pedestrians.
But the worst aspect of driving this truck is without doubt the AutoShift transmission, which appears to lack the intelligence of I-Shift and other European two-pedal gearboxes.As a result it refuses to block change, even when running solo, insisting on counting up and down through all 18 gears. It's no wonder Americans can't be persuaded to stop gear-jamming, and it does explain why we've heard some US drivers drop the letter T from the transmission's name.
Despite its dubious ride qualities, questionable styling and appalling visibility, the VT is still one of the more respected trucks on sale in the US. It just goes to show how backward the North American truck industry is compared with our own.
Although we've pointed out all its had points, we know we haven't put you off.There can't be many drivers who wouldn't jump at the chance of sitting behind the wheel of one of these for a living.
Volvo has no plans to sell the VT880 in Europe, but if it did, we reckon it would cure the UK's driver shortage overnight •