Stralis Puts On A Show!
Back in September, the Iveco Road Show was on a winning run around the UK’s major horse racing meetings, showing off its new Eurocargo thoroughbred to industry principals and interested punters. For our ‘Initial Impressions’ road test, John Henderson trots down to Ayr and moves no less than three Ivecos to Perth in one go, with the going predictably good to firm in the leading Euro 5, Stralis 560 tractor. I FIRST spotted this particular 560hp Stralis prime mover on the official Iveco stand at the CV Show and since the three day Birmingham event back in April, I’ve been pestering the good people at the manufacturer’s Watford base for a test drive. The flagship All Blacks liveried Euro 5, 6x2 tractor has had its fair share of official duties to carry out since then and up to now there’s sadly been no time available for our demanding full Scottish test route. Iveco’s product affairs manager, Nick Santon recently offered me a good interim compromise however, in the shape of a drive from Ayr to Perth and it was indeed enough to stop my emails and get me off his back for a while! The occasion for my run was the moving of the ‘New Eurocargo’ road show, which was visiting major horse race meetings across the UK, displaying the latest range of multipurpose rigids alongside their big brother Trakker and Stralis models to complete the family line up. My load for the day would be four and eight wheeled examples from the aforementioned types, both securely strapped to a Montracon low loader. Tipping the scales at around 36 tonnes, the three vehicle ensemble would give a fair idea of how the big Stralis performs under real working conditions. After a poor summer, Scotland enjoyed some fine weather in late September and my drive took place on one of the warmest days of the year, so conditions were truly perfect as I set off from Burns country en route to the Fair City. It was just under a year ago when I drove an Iveco Stralis last, when the 450hp version of a similar tractor unit coupled to a fully loaded trailer stormed the Transport News test route in January 2004’s issue, setting a best ever fuel consumption performance at that particular time. Equipped with the same high roofed sleeper cab, climbing aboard the bigger 560 version brought back good memories of the newsworthy trial. I’ve always found any Iveco interior to be straightforward and fit for purpose, whilst offering a range of comfort which is up there with the best of them. I’ve complimented the Stralis’ driving seat many times before and must mention its credentials again. To my mind (and body) this piece of furniture is the best in the business and when fitted with the optional lumbar support, heating units and leather trim, it offers the user unparalleled luxury. Another subject that’s been previously picked out by yours truly in the past, is the full fold away top bunk and I’m amazed that as yet the opposition haven’t cottoned on to this, as it saves acres of space. With a low, flat engine cover and the handbrake and drive selectors located to hand on the angled centre dash unit, cross cab movement is a breeze and when standing up straight in the centre portion there’s more than enough headroom for even the tallest occupants. Storage compartments abound in the Stralis, with good sized lockers in all the usual places. Outside there’s a brace of hinged cubby holes for the diesel gloves and other essential dirty items of kit. The steering wheel diameter is of a medium size and thanks to its thoughtful design, none of the grouped switches and controls are blocked out by it. When I turned on the ignition key, the colourful blaze of the dashboard’s electronic display seemed at first a bit complex, but with a few miles under my belt its logic soon becomes apparent and the panel works well with the adjoining circular dials. The big Stralis made short work of exiting Ayr and within minutes I was putting the power to good use climbing away from the west coast on the A77. The loaded group of Ivecos grossed around the 36 tonne mark, so it was fair to say the six cylinder Cursor 13, with a capacity output beginning with the number five was never going to be really troubled on the motorway/dual carriageway route to Perth. This Euro 5 unit uses SCR technology to comply with emissions regulations and additionally features a variable geometry turbocharger and unit injectors. Smooth and quiet performance are the hallmarks of a Cursor power plant and with 2,500nm of torque on offer between 1,000 to 1,575rpm, good progress was always relaxed and seemingly effortless. Although there’s cruise control fitted as standard here, with average speed cameras and high level policing abundant on the A/M77 sections, I opted to fine tune velocity with my right foot and the fly by wire accelerator pedal duly delivered an accurate measure. Working away so efficiently that you almost take it for granted, the ZF Eurotronic AS 2530 TO gearbox delivered magnificently smooth and steady gear changes when left in full auto. As is the norm today, the right hand steering column stalk gives the option of full manual control or early shifts, but to be honest on this occasion I felt that the set up was so good it was best left to do its own thing in tandem with the 432mm single plate clutch. There’s plenty of low rev grunt in the 560 engine and the gear change system is certainly set up for this. On a number of hill climbs, even with an overdrive top (11th gear is 1:1) shifts were kept to a minimum and it was very much the correct case of letting the motor lug as low as is practically possible! For more delicate manoeuvring in confined spaces the drive and reverse switches have a slow mode which can be activated by holding the required button in for two seconds. A dashboard display confirms this useful feature’s engagement. Back to the run and once approaching the Newton Mearns junction, the long downhill descent begins into the city of Glasgow and the motorway offers sweeping views of the metropolis. Concentrating first on the de-compression engine brake, this standard fit retarder is also activated by the right stalk and its two positions offered noticeable slowing power into the Clyde valley. In the service brake department, all round 436mm discs are fitted to each axle and these are brought into play via an electronic braking system (EBS) connected to a pendulum type centre pedal. PREFERENCE In the past I’ve stated a personal preference for floor hinged brake levers, as in my opinion the longer levered pendulum types seem to require slightly more travel before bite is noticed. The latter was certainly the case with the Iveco, but once acclimatised to the feel of these anchors, their ability was quickly felt and gave me complete assurance in every situation. Interestingly, the Stralis parking brake actuates via spring chambers on the front and drive axles and I doubt if even an earthquake would budge it when applied. The day’s perfect weather conditions were complemented by similar traffic circumstances and with my Iveco minder Geoff Hayes comfortably ensconced in the passenger seat for a change, we soon joined the familiar Transport News Scottish test route after Moodiesburn on the A80. Between here and Perth there’s a variety of different road surfaces and cambers to consider, with the driveline and suspension units put through a proper work out. Iveco 5876 I-beam axles account for the first two wheel rows and these are followed by Meritor MS13-175 hypoid drive unit, fitted with a differential lock as standard. Suspension comes in the usual steel/air mix with the parabolic spring and pneumatic ECAS types assisted by front and rear anti-roll bars and shock absorbers. Generally the ride was faultless throughout, but great care had to be taken with such a high load centre of gravity and those tricky S bends at the north end of the M80 were the ultimate test of the day for the 530 Stralis. I’m glad to report back that I negotiated the narrow filter lane at a deliberately slow speed and the Iveco coped easily with the quick side to side weight transfers. Putting the chassis in general under the microscope, I was really impressed by the build quality and obvious attention to detail. The AdBlue tank cleverly contains built in catwalk steps thereby saving valuable rail space and across the way an optional alloy diesel tank holds 560 litres of the dear stuff. Alongside customer choice polished alloy wheels, aluminium air reservoirs helped keep the unladen weight down on the 4,000mm wheelbase construction and detail abounded on this top spec truck with the £70 twin plastic wheel chocks well located at the rear of the side members. As Perth’s racecourse is located at Old Scone off the A93 Blairgowrie road, our best approach was to skirt the south side of the city via the M90, cross the Friarton Bridge and run along the north bank of the river. The closer we got to our final destination the narrower junctions and roads became. In our final few furlongs to the Tayside track, an extra challenge emerged in the shape of overhanging trees which threatened to mark the piggy-backed cabs, so good positioning and visibility were called upon to keep my chauffeur’s reputation intact. The design of the Stralis cab delivers well above average visibility and the ample sized rear view mirrors have been mounted correctly to minimise any blind spots. The curved corners of the windscreen permit accurate lane placement and this kept us well away from the greenery. With a steered second axle, which also lifts when required, the overall handling experience of any tractor is improved noticeably and such was the case with this example. Going back to the start of the run briefly, our exit from Ayr necessitated some tight turns and even within the first minute or so, I found myself nicely attuned to the steering lock and power assisted ram’s capabilities. As is usual with most press demonstration motors, our Stralis 560 had a small fortune’s worth of extras fitted and whilst I enjoyed their presence fully, it is perhaps only owner drivers, small prestige fleets or larger operations seeking a ‘reward’ or flagship truck who would request such an extensive specification. Despite UK truck sales figures slowing up noticeably with the effects of the global credit crunch, I think it’s fair to say that Iveco’s revamped, Euro 5 heavy truck range has now proved itself totally competent against tough competition in a wide number of applications in fleets across Britain and Europe. Certainly after just one day behind the wheel of the AS440S56TX/P with its voluminous Super 3 cab, I was left absolutely convinced that this is a class leading vehicle. I’m usually not a betting man, but I’d put more than a few pounds on this particular thoroughbred being at the front of its field for some time to come!