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1.111 COLIN BARNETT AVIA D120 Engine: Cummins 1513e, 182hp, 700Nm,

7th January 2010, Page 37
7th January 2010
Page 37
Page 37, 7th January 2010 — 1.111 COLIN BARNETT AVIA D120 Engine: Cummins 1513e, 182hp, 700Nm,
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Fi -4 SCR, overhead camshaft, charge-cooled turbo-diese, Transmission: ZF six-speed manual GCW: 12,000kg Tested: 16 July This year, cur rigid contenders are neatly split into two groups in time terms. Three distribution trucks appeared in the second half of the year, but the first half was time for the two 32-tonne tippers. Both have similar pedigrees in so far as they were long-awaited lightweight versions of well-respected, but heavy-duty relatives.

First is the Renault Premium Lander, unashamedly named to distance it from the bulletproof Kerax.

Surprisingly, given its lightweight ambitions, the test truck came with a sturdy hub-reduction axle set-up, but it still managed to beat its rival on payload by a bag of shopping. We came away impressed by the Lander, helped in no small part by its very impressive Optidriver+ rendering of ZF's ubiquitous AS-Tronic.

Comfort, both chassis and cab-sourced. is another area to impress: not unimportant when a driver is likely to spend much of the working day on imperfect roads. Downsides are its economy and a few ergonomic faux pas.

From slightly further East comes Daimler's offering, the Mercedes-Benz Axor, bucking the trend in construction by having a clutch pedal, The slight weight penalty against the Renault is more than compensated for by a significant half-mile per gallon fuel economy advantage. On the driver appeal front, a harder-than-ideal ride is somewhat offset by a more spacious cab. In the tightest of battles. it's the Merc's lower running costs in an era of constrained finances that just gives it the edge.

All too soon, the days began to shorten and along came a trio of very different distribution trucks. First up was the Avia D120. Frankly, following an earlier experience with a thenDaewoo-badged 7.5-tanner, our expectations weren't too high. While it isn't perfect: the virtually unprepared 12-tonner produces excellent economy and a largely positive driving experience. As near to a 'traditional British" truck as you can get, the Cumminspowered 0120 shows great strides in build quality, with only poorly controlled front suspension and engine mounts letting the side down.

Next we enjoyed the latest 18-tanner from Isuzu. In many ways, home-brewed EGR driveline aside, the relatively low-tech Isuzu should appeal to operators shy of over-dependence on electronics in the same way as the Avia. and feedback from some operators is very positive.

No hint of hair-shirt simplicity from lveco with the 7.5-tonne version of its latest Eurocargo. Regularly vying for the sales lead in markets across Europe, much is expected of the Eurocargo and it doesn't disappoint too much. Only some issues over space in the day cab and some ergonomic foibles let it down.

But in the final analysis. in the words of the original test: "A 12-tonner that does the job of two premium 7.5-tonners for less than the cost of one deserves a better look."

The way that Avia has listened to criticism and produced such a surprisingly well-balanced all-round truck gives it the title, with the Mercedes tipper taking the highly commended rosette.

The contenders: Avia D120 18-tonne; Isuzu Forward 18-tonne; Iveco Eurocargo 7.5-tonne; Mercedes-Benz Axor 3240K 8x4; Renault Premium Lander 8x4

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