EuroStar makes it easy
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by Brian Weatherley • First the bad news. British owner-drivers hoping to get their hands on Iveco's 383kW (513hp) EuroStar flagship tractor will have to wait until the beginning of next year. The good news? It will be worth the wait.
According to Iveco, the EuroStar has been designed from the outset to provide: "Luxury comfort and outstanding performance." Commercial Motor has driven two of the most powerful versions and those claims appear well justified.
The test route began just north of Venice, heading up on the autostrada close to the Austrian border, taking in hilly A-roads along the way.
Our first drive was with the EuroStar 440E42T/P two-axle tractor with the 313kW (420hp) 13.8-litre in-line six and Eaton Twin Splitter gearbox. The rearair-suspended artic sported the medium height sleeper cab and grossed at 40 tonnes—four tonnes short of the Italian national weight limit for artics.
The 440E42 should appeal to small fleet operators looking for a premium tractor with sensible power. The EuroStar cab has an attractive yet mostly practical trim. There's plenty of storage space including two "wardrobes" at each end of the bunk although the zip and Velcro fastenings of these need to be beefed up if they're to last the course with a long-distance driver.
The bunk is firm yet comfortable and the dash has an uncluttered layout. The adjustable steering column extends up and tilts back and forth so there's no problem finding a comfortable driving position.
On the road the 440E42T/P proved a willing worker with the Twin Splitter well-matched to the Iveco straight six. With peak torque delivered between 1,000 and 1,400rpm there's plenty of low-down lugging power to back up the long-legged motorway performance. The ZF steering is very precise—the EuroStar goes where you point it and stays there.
Overall, the rear air-sprung 440E42T/P's handling was good, with cab-roll well controlled. The front discs and rear drums also deliver good retardation although the exhaust brake is less than impressive.
The top-of-the-range 440E52 was a revelation. Despite the massive power and torque available from its 17.2 big vee (developed from the old 480hp TurboStar engine) inside it's uncannily quiet. Iveco claims an interior noise reduction of 35d13(A) over the old TurboStar thanks in part to an extra 100kg of noise insulation material.
Running at 80-90km/h on the Autostrada with 44 tonnes up the only real sound that can be heard in the 440E52 EuroStar cabin is the turbocharger when you put your foot down. The muted whistle sounds like a kettle boiling in a far away room.
The direct-top cog on the normal 16-speed ZF F,cosplit synchro box ensures that at motorway speeds the EuroStar vee is always burbling away in the middle of the green economy band_ Most of the time we only needed top; there's so much torque— 2,240Nm (1,6521bft) at 1,10Orpm—that your left foot has little to do. However, all that power has to be used responsibly and Iveco should think seriously about offering cruise control on the 440E52.
The biggest EuroStar cab on offer—the full-height "Alto" cabin—is 50mm wider and has 671mm more headroom than the old TurboStar cab. While it can't quite match the interior space in the Renault AE, it's not far behind. There's more than enough room for the long-haul driver and his possessions and the ride is good, especially on chassis with the optional front and rear "FP" air suspension.
All in all, we were more than impressed by the EuroStar. lts looks, interior trim, driveability and build quality are well ahead of the old TurboStar. If it has any faults the most noticeable is cab nod. Hit the right sort of small hump on the motorway and it can set up a nodding action which takes a while to dissipate. It's most noticeable on the full-height Alto cab.
The EuroStar's cab rides on a four-point air suspension system similar to the Renault Magnum although without the French model's electronic control.
Stiffer cab damping rates would overcome the problem: one way to do it would be to use electronics to control the passage of air into the front bags of the cab suspension so the nodding could be tackled more quickly.
We'd also like the steps into the cab to be deeper at the bottom to make getting out easier.
That apart, few drivers should complain about the level of comfort or fittings. There's an electric sunroof (who can stand up and close an air vent while driving?) a coolbox that doubles as the step into the top bunk, electric mirrors, electronic temperature control, central locking, front spoiler and fog lights, seat belts and trip computer. UK 440E52 tractors will also come with Eaton's Twin Splitter-based Semi Automated Mechanical Transmission (SAMT).
While a serious rival to the Renault AE, Scania R143 500, Mercedes 1850 and the soon-tobe-launched Volvo F16 replacement, the 513hp 440E52 EuroStar will not be a big volume seller in the UK. "We'll probably sell 100 units a year," says Iveco Ford which will be looking to the lower-powered 440E42 to win favour among the small fleet buyers looking for a premium tractor with 400hp on tap.