Scoop! Could this be the new Renault Premium?
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By David Wilcox FULL MARKS to whoever was responsible for disguising this mystery tractor unit, spotted on the road by a vigilant CM reader last week. We cannot believe that any new cab could be as bland as this one appears to be, so the usual styling cues must have been removed or camouflaged for in-service trials.
The most likely answer is that this 6x2 unit is the replacement for the Renault Premium, due to be unveiled next June. The biggest clue to the unit's identity comes from the Montracon curtain-sided trailer operated by Nigel Rice Transport, an East Yorkshire-based firm with a penchant for Premiums.
Most striking is how low the cab appears to sit, with a deep bumper section and a shallow front panel. This is a low-floor distribution tractor, so it is most likely to have Renault's Euro-6 10.8-litre DTI 11 engine — the successor to the Euro-5 DXi 11 engine (CM 15 November).
There is speculation that the new Premium cab will be similar to that of the next FM from sister company Volvo Trucks. We are not so sure about this, unless the two cabs have a common structure, but significantly different panels.
The current Premium and FM already use the same engine (albeit with different power ratings) and gearbox, so if future componentsharing extends to identical cabs, that leaves little to differentiate the brands. And if this picture depicts what is also the next FM, one could expect some minor components such as wiper arms or mirrors to resemble those on the new FH, but that is not the case. The only similarity is the absence of corner deflectors on the cab, which is not much to go on. It looks like we will have to be patient for a little longer.