BIGtruck 1000 points test 2022
We are at a German airstrip with 3 new trucks for the 1000 points test! A MAN 470. A Volvo FH460. And a Scania 460, that's special because it's a brand new engine. The Volvo has the well known Turbo Compound technology.
We will thoroughly test them, take all the measurements of these trucks and look at the fuel consumption in this 1000 point test! The MAN with the GM cab, that's the wide version with the middle hight roof. You can stand here perfectly fine and there's quite a lot of space. You have the refrigerator underneath the bed and another drawer next to it for storage. It doesn't have the cupboards in the back, neither does it have a second bunk, but it does have cupboards in the front.
What I like from MAN is the Smart Select system. It's still one of the better control systems we have in the trucks today. Unlike with a touch screen you can just use the wrist support and then navigate the system with the control wheel. It's quite easy to select navigation or the view of the map. On the same screen you can see the blindspot. That view is coming from the camera above the windshield and this truck has the OptiView option so there are no physical mirrors.
So there are now cameras on the outside and I have to say it works quite well! It has this roof hatch with a net and a blinding. And three small cupboards here in the front. There is this large storage space underneath the middle one. Personally I would have preferred a big cupboard in the middle so you could fit a microwave for example. So that's not possible here, for that you need the order the biggest cab with MAN.
Still there is ample storage space also with the space underneath the bed. Other than that is well put together and the height is fine too. It has a wide bed with a slatted base. Good curtains, this new MAN is pretty good! The Scania R Highline cab, it's a well known cab. In this case without the roof hatch and top bunk, but it does have the cupboards in the back. A swivel chair and this small table for the laptop or to eat breakfast.
It's well put together, it has this drawer under the bed and the refrigerator is there as well. New is this extra thick mattress that Scania installs. That's also a step in the right direction. It's a comfortable cab with only three steps to get in, I think that's a great advantage and a very small engine tunnel in the middle. The swivel chair has a nice construction to operate it. By lifting the seating up you can unlock the mechanism and then you can turn it.
It's a clever system! Big space here underneath the bed and the refrigerator. Lastly we have all the cupboards here. Plenty of storage in the cupboards, not only are they in the front, but they are also installed in the back. If this is not enough storage space for you then I don't know anymore.
For the Volvo they made some updates to the front of it. They made this part taller and therefore the logo has increased in size as well. Every plastic part has been updated, including these mirrors that are now more aerodynamic. And if you look around the lights you can see that they sealed the gabs with a rubber strip. All this effort to make sure the air goes around the truck.
Also behind the grill there are rubber strips everywhere, but the most obvious one is right here. A large strip of rubber between the door and an extension at the bottom of the door to guide the air around the truck. The fender is now also updated and more flush with the cab. All kinds of updates to improve the aerodynamics. The Volvo FH 460 is also a well known cab. It's the 460 hp with the Turbo Compound and I-Save technology.
They made a lot of changes to improve the aerodynamics and also updated the software for the engine. It's a well known concept, it's the Globetrotter, so not the tallest cab, but it's still spacious enough. The passenger seat is electrically adjustable as well, so not only the driver seat. That's an option of course, but very comfortable.
However there is not a lot of leg room on the passenger side. The seat is all the way to the back, but still as you can see that's not a lot of room. But then again, normally you are in the driver seat and there is plenty of room on that side. The bed is also nice, you can choose between two different mattresses. It's a very complete cab with all the cupboard, storage spaces and cupholders. In this particular space the light will turn on automatically if you put something inside or move you hand in it. All in all it's great, but here on the passenger side I would have loved to have a bit more space. The new Scania 460 R! It's takes a bit getting used to it 460 hp, it reminds me of another Swedish brand.
It's the new DC13 engine in combination with that new transmission and rear axle. So that's complete new driveline and we have high expectations. We will test the truck thoroughly on this test route. We also take it twice for a spin around the same route. The first time to get a feeling and the second one for measurements. If something goes wrong we still have the two runs to compare and we have a brand representative that will help to administer everything. We drive and let the systems do their work. This feels very familiar Scania. It does sound a little bit different though.
The maximum torque is already at 900rpm and that in combination with the overdrive transmission makes it a very efficient driveline. I'm looking forward to the final results! The second truck we drive today is the MAN 18.470. An engine with 470 hp and a Traxon transmission with retarder. New is the OptiView, so no mirrors but you will have these monitors. And there is a new sun visor that will help streamline the cab.
First impression is very positive. MAN put a lot of effort in it with the latest update. How it will compare to the two Swedish trucks? That's something we will discover during this 1000 points test. After the MAN and the Scania I'm now driving the Volvo 460 Turbo Compound with I-Save. In contrary to our own tests we let the system do all the work. In practice we see that Volvo can choose to go uphill with only 800 rpm, which feels a bit unnatural. But according to Volvo that's the most fuel saving way to go uphill. That's also where the Turbo Compound is the most effective.
At the end of the test we will find out who is right about that between the brands, but we also measure the speed. That's also important to us. Other than that this is a typical Volvo. It steers really precise with the dynamic steering and the options therein. Fitted with Ordinary mirrors, nothing wrong with that.
Looking forward to the results!
2022-02-20 23:40
