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0 t might be thought that Scania
put Itself at a disadvantage by pitching its Euro-3 contender against a pair of Euro-2s. But the Swedes stand by the belief that their electronic unit injection engines have achieved lower emissions without a significant fuel penalty. And just to reinforce their faith in the benefits of technology in the right place. their contribution came complete with the Opticrulse self-changing gearbox.
Opticrulse allows drivers to make their own gearshifts or leave the electronics to get on with it. Although the clutch must be used for starting and stopping, this is easy to forget, until you come to a sudden standstill. We wonder whether the clutch is actually still needed, or Is It just a sop to lingering operator doubts? In either case, the system makes for a relaxed drive—maybe a little too relaxed In the 0-85km/h dash, where it was 8-10 seconds off the pace.
The Scanla, as we have come to expect, was very smooth overall, but the front suspension on this example did have a tendency to crash out on a few particularly bad bumps (of which German roads have mercifully few). Reinforcing the popular Image, the Scania sneaked a win In the cab section with the top score for quality and finish, and romped away with the honours for driving comfort, including a maximum score for handling and steering.
The Scanla also put up a good showing In the productivity section, largely on the strength of the generously specified equipment list. Pretty well everything you could ask for is there, and what isn't is available. Ergonomics are also first rate.
Negative points were hard to find, but we could mention the stylish mirrors, which need to be mounted another 25mm or so further out to get a hill view down the trailer's flanks. No doubt some drivers swear by it but we were more Inclined to swear at the external sun visor which created an annoying obstruction to forward view without adding any great benefit. On sections where we would normally have travelled three-up In the cab, we declined in the Scania as Its low bottom bunk makes a rotten seat.
As for the fuel economy gamble, compared with the Mercedes the Scanla effectively used an extra half litre every 100km. Beaten, yes; thrashed, definitely not.
Overall, any driver given a say in choosing his next truck would be highly likely to produce a list with this Scania near the top.