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Renault Premium
Page 40
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Long Distance
We put the fleet-spec spotlight on the Renault Premium 6x2 to see if it meets the needs of cost-conscious managers and buyers.
U. uif11.9e5. tsi ,aff Weather Ley Why doesn't Renault do better in the UK tractor market? Like Iveco, it's probably down to perception. Yet the truth is markedly different.
Since joining the Volvo global truck family, Renault's fortunes have enjoyed a major revival in terms of product offering. And while it remains protective of its brand identity, not least on cab design. as witnessed by the continued existence of the Magnum, it's been far less reticent about taking advantage of drivetrain components available through the Group Powertrain Division.
When the Premium broke cover in late 2005, it did so with an 11-litre engine derived from Volvo's D9 diesel, albeit with increases in bore, stroke and power. Ironically, Volvo recently followed suit, launching its own Dll engine, with the same block, hoping to attract those operators that feel a heavier 13-litre lump is more than they need on fleet work.
The current DXill in the Premium is rated at 370hp, 410hp and 450hp at Euro-5, having gained slightly more power and torque since it first appeared at Euro-3.
However, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) remains the preferred route to cleaner emissions for the French truck-maker. Having borrowed an engine from its big brother, Renault has also adopted Volvo's I-Shift auto, although with its own controls, and renamed it Optidriver+. Unlike I-Shift, which comes with a number of different software programs. Optidriver-, has a commendably simpler one-size-suits-all control program that allows a driver to make manual shifts if required. And while some operators have asked for manual overrides to be taken off 1-Shift, we see little need to do so on Optidriver.
Renault charges extra for an autobox —£2,788 if you spec Optidriver in place of the Premium's standard 16-speed ZF manual. If you want Optidriver+, you have to take the Optibrake engine brake package as well, which adds a further £1,392 to the list price. However, the Optidriver+/Optibrake combination has the potential to significantly extend service brake linings, not least in tough terrain, so it's worth considering.
Talking of cost-savings, it's interesting that the Premium's fuel economy has been cited as a deal maker by a number of fleet buyers, not least Iceland and Langdons. CM recently met a major container fleet driver on a fuel bonus who asked to be switched from a larger flagship tractor to a Premium Long Distance 450 with Optidriver+ to boost fuel economy — with no regrets. •