4 4 /Steyr's Austrian sextet • Six months after declaring its intention
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to enter the British HGV market, Austrian truck builder Steyr-DaimlerPuch has revealed its proposed UK the-up to Commercial Motor.
Steyr (the name rhymes with fire) will be launching six right-hand-drive models — ranging from 38 tonnes to 13 tonnes GVW — at the beginning of September: they will make their official UK debut at the Birmingham motor show at the NEC in October.
Leading the Austrian assault will be a brace of two-axle 38tonne GCW tractive units, the 19S31 and 19S28 (under Steyr's badging system the first two digits refer to gross vehicle weight and the last two to nominal horsepower).
Both are powered by Steyr's own 9.7-litre charge-cooled inline six-cylinder engine. In the 19S31 it develops 225kW (302hp) at 2,200rpm and has a peak torque of 1,250Nm (922Ibft) at 1,300rpm. For the 19S28 it is rated at 204kW (273hp) and provides a maximum torque of 1,160Nm (8561bft). (All performance figures are to DIN standard).
Steyr currently offers a more powerful 12-litre veeeight engine on the Continent up to 270kW (362hp). According to S-D-P's truck division managing director Ernst Pranckl, however, the decision to offer the 19S31 as its most powerful tractive unit is based on the fact that the majority of 38-tonne tractive units currently sold in Britain are equipped with engines between 224261kW (300-350hp).
In a bid to build confidence in what is still an unknown vehicle (at least in the UK) SD-P will fit the familiar Eaton Twin Splitter gearbox as standard on its RHD artics, along with Rockwell drive axles. Steyr already fits the Twin Splitter on a number of its lefthand-drive models, as an alternative to the normallystandard ZF Ecosplit 16-speed gearbox, but the Ecosplit will be optional on UK tractors.
Both the 19S31 and 19S28 will initially only be supplied with a 3.4m wheelbase. Although they share the distinctive Steyr all-steel heavy truck cab, the 19S28 will be sold as a day-cab model, while the more-powerful 19S31 will be equipped with a GRP top sleeper pod as standard.
Steyr has yet to give details on rear axle ratios, or kerbweights, of UK models, although the equivalent lefthand-drive 19S31 has a kerbweight of around 6.6 tonnes.
Backing up its artics Steyr will have two 17-tonne and two 13-tonne rigids.
The 17S21 and 17S18 feature Steyr's own middleweight day-cab (a sleeper will not initially be offered in Britain) and are powered by the company's WD612 six-cylinder 6.6-litre inline engine.
In the 17S21, the turbocharged and charge-cooled WD612.65 block develops 154kW (206hp) at 2,400rpm with a maximum torque of 790Nm (5831bft) at 1,300rpm.
The 17S18 has the turbocharged-only WD612.63, developing 130kW (174hp) and 630Nm (4641bft) of torque — again at 1,300rpm.
Arbc pattern
Following its artic pattern, Steyr is fitting another Eaton box in its middleweight rigids — in this case the singlelayshaft six-speed 4106 synchromesh box, already used in the UK by ERF. All its righthand-drive rigid chassis will have Steyr's own back axle.
Completing Steyr's UK sextet are the 12.7-tonne GVW 13S18 and 13S14 chassis.
While the most-powerful 13518 has the same 130kW turbocharged engine as its . heavier 17S18 brother, the 13S14 gets the 100kW (134hp) blown WD612.61 engine with a peak torque of 490Nm (3611bft), delivered at 1,400rpm.
In common with the 17tonner, the 13-tonne chassis have the Eaton 4106 box, full air braking and leaf suspension all round.
Steyr says that middleweight wheelbases and rear axle ratios will be chosen in order to suit UK, rather than Continental, operations.
Impressions
During an exclusive three-day visit to S-D-P, Commercial Motor took the opportunity to drive a left-hand-drive 17tonner and an 19S31 artic, both fully laden.
First impression of the attractive Steyr middleweight (sold as the 16-tonne 16S21 in Austria) is that it is remarkably similar to the equivalent Mercedes chassis, although the two companies have developed their vehicles separately.
During a 1001an trip over mixed terrain, including motorway running, the 16S21 proved itself to be a serious contender for the premium distribution sector. Like many Continental chassis it has a fairly soft ride, helped by the fitment of air suspension on the back axle, but it held the road well and revealed no bad habits.
The charge-cooled sixcylinder Steyr engine provides plenty of power, yet will lug down happily to 1,100min on gradients. Interior noise levels are impressively low.
Access to the 16S21's cab is simple enough and the overall trim and instrumentation are practical and well-placed.
First impressions behind the wheel of the 19S31 is that it is similar to the old-style Dal Space Cab. The 3.7-metre wheelbase, air-suspended 4x2 tractor gives an excellent ride for a 2+3 combination, although whether shorter wheelbase UK models will be able to offer the same level of comfort remains to be seen.
The in-line-six 9.7-litre Steyr engine has a distinctive growl which, while noticeable, is not intrusive. It will pull down to below 1,200rpm with ease and takes half gear changes at 1,500rpm comfortably.
The only disappointing feature of our left-hand drive model was, surprisingly, the poor action of its ZF Ecosplit synchromesh box which had high shift loads and a less-thanprecise pattern.
El by Brian Weatherley