Leading By The Left
Volvo’s new FE320 26-tonner, in left hand drive form, leads the way on our Scottish test route. Our regular steersman, John Henderson perfects the art of good road positioning in this particularly accomplished six wheeled rigid. IN THE last two years Volvo Trucks have clinched a double honour for supplying the most commercial vehicles for initial evaluations and fully measured trials around our Transport News Scottish route. I’m extremely grateful to Warwick based Nigel Hanwell and his team of demonstration experts for continuing to deliver a wide selection of highly prepared and fully loaded lorries for me to spend the day with. By last summer I wondered if there were any types of Volvo that I hadn’t driven yet, so true to form the Swedish manufacturer’s staff came up with their new FE320, 26 tonner in left hand drive form straight off the factory floor. Don’t be misled by the steering wheel on the ‘wrong’ side in this instance. The latest FE range has been available in right hand drive mode for several months now, it’s just that Volvo (GB) did not have this particular type within their demonstration fleet. I’ve driven left hand drive (LHD) vehicles abroad on a number of occasions, but it took a good bit of thinking to recall the last time I hit the road in Britain with a left hooker. Eventually I recalled a short delivery run in a council owned Ford D Series sweeper wagon some 25 years ago and nothing else since! So there was, to say the least, some initial apprehension about my immediate driving priorities as Rod Collett and I left Abington services for commencement of the test. Once northbound on the M74, the driver’s side rear view mirror soon became my new best buddy as I concentrated hard to position the rigid in the correct proximity to the nearside white line. I reckoned this strategy should pay dividends later when we moved onto the narrower two way A roads. Visibility from the FE cab is truly excellent and after the first 25 minutes of verge hugging I began to relax somewhat and appreciate some of the six wheeler’s many qualities. Returning to the mirrors for a second, the four main units are superb, with the kerb side and blind spot lenses giving great additional cover. An optional nearside camera, mounted within the lower mirror arm bracket, was fitted to our steed and it activated immediately on selection of the right indicator. The clear pictures displayed were much appreciated and the dash mounted small screen was easy to glimpse, once the usual mirror checks had been completed prior to an overtake or turn. At the rear of the Swedish built, Special Karosser AB 25ft box body, a reversing camera was fitted aloft and it too displayed on the mini flat screen. So with six glass lenses and two CCTV cameras, I can honestly say that this truck is undoubtedly the best I’ve driven yet in terms of all round, peripheral space observation. Fitted with a medium height (900mm) chassis, the FE320 handled extremely competently thanks to its front steel parabolic spring/rear air bag suspension combination. At the rear of the body, a two tonne capacity Z Lift, tail end hoist was fitted to the 4,750mm wheelbase chassis, but even with this extra kit the truck still offers an attractive payload of 15,210kg. Our motor was fully loaded with concrete ballast and the low centre of gravity meant that the suspension was rarely troubled. However, having built up a reasonably good knowledge of our 200 mile sortie, there are places en route where I know I can put a bit of pressure on the handling and cornering. As with the rest of its Volvo peer group, the FE took everything in its stride, delivering correct feedback without fuss or alarm. In addition to testing my abilities driving from the ‘other’ side of the cab, Volvo had supplied the FE with a ZTO1109, 6 speed manual gearbox which requires a gear stick and a clutch no less! With an H plus one set up and a range change button, gear movements were straightforward tasks and the only criteria with this ‘box was not to rush the changes, allowing a full clear second per shift. The two timed hill climbs offered little in the way of challenges for the 320 and both ascents were easily run in top gear, confirming my thoughts re flexibility of the gearbox ratios. Turning the power into motion at the back end was a RSS1344B rear axle, built with a ratio of 4.63:1. This unit was well matched to the box of cogs and never once did I question its set up. A feeling of mild relief accompanied my arrival into Kinross services, with an incident free first sector ‘on the other side’ under my belt. Thankfully the traffic conditions had been relatively quiet and this Volvo’s forgiving driving nature helped too. Interior space on this L3H1 type cab is better than average and the wide, deep single piece bunk mattress looks good for a few nights away. The trim is finished in a mixture of light blues and greys, which reflect plenty of natural daylight, brightening the inside space well. Storage above and below the windscreen lines is good and three under bed compartments offer a home for larger pieces of kit. The driving position is first rate with all switch gear and controls close to hand, including the all important water bottle holder! Cab access gets the thumbs up with a pair of large anti-slip steps and grab handles bringing you aboard gracefully, but the flip side to this low mounted cab is the obvious, stepped engine cover which does encroach a tad on cross cab movement. One thing I noticed on this LHD model was the extra room in the driver’s foot well, as I have in the past sometimes found my leg movement restricted slightly in RHD types. Fife Council’s kerb sweeper wagons could have been having a day off, as I took to our circular route of the Kingdom, staying as close as possible to the green edge whilst keeping my offside mirror group away from oncoming HGVs. The FE320 made great progress on the A roads and the perky and flexible D7E, Euro 5 engine burbled away quite happily responding swiftly to any commands via the right hand pedal. This SCR unit is a turbocharged, six in-line type and produces 320hp at 2,300rpm. Mix in the useful 1,200nm of torque delivered between 1,200 and 1,700rpm and you have a recipe for a great power plant, that’s well on top of the job at this weight rating. Running west on the virtually flat A92 dual carriageway between Kirkcaldy and Halbeath is a good test of the cruise control and the engine barely altered in tone on this section, eating up the miles with a healthy appetite. Featuring common rail technology, the average fuel consumption figure returned at the end of the day was an encouraging 10.65mpg, but I suspect this could be bettered by a regular driver and fitment of Volvo’s excellent I-Shift automated gear change. The FE’s 7.2 litre diesel is offered in power increments from 240-320hp and depending on application, oil change intervals can stretch to 100,000km, or once a year. At our photo stop on the south side of the Forth Road Bridge, the eye catching Volvo rigid attracted quite a bit of attention from other professional drivers stopped for their regulatory breaks. The FE is generally a good looking truck at the best of times and our colour coded chassis in fills, alloy wheels coupled with a striking logo and a top quality metallic paint job, made the six wheeler stand out substantially from the crowd. Onto the third and final leg of the day and the FE’s engine worked hard around the constant climb away from sea level via the Edinburgh City Bypass and the A702. Climbing away from the Fairmilehead junction, the road ascends then flattens out in regular steps, with plenty of gear changes being the order of the day. Interestingly enough although I missed the I-Shift option most on this part, the gearbox never needed to go down into low range, such was the grunt of the Euro 5 motor. Steering via the grip friendly, comfortable Volvo wheel was incredibly precise and the maximum steering angle of 50° makes for an ultra manoeuvrable truck. The rear steer tag axle also delivers a reassuring bite in the correct circumstances too. With Michelin energy tyres fitted (XZA2s on the front and ZDA2s at the rear) the road grip was always at a premium. My notes for the day rated the engine brake as mildly effective and adequate, so the service anchors were used to a higher proportion than normal. The all round disc units delivered a good day’s work whilst never displaying a tendency for fade or excess heat. Pedal travel was entirely consistent and predictable at all times and the electronically controlled system can also be specified with extra safety add-ons, such as hill hold or stability programmes depending on intended use. Brake blending with the engine retarder also minimises wear on the pads and discs, keeping running and servicing costs to an absolute minimum. After an educational but enjoyable day behind the wheel of the light blue lorry, we arrived back at Abington for our last measurement checks. An AdBlue consumption of approximately six litres dents the productivity of this 26 tonner slightly, but this is balanced back with the FE’s light kerb weight of its unbodied chassis. In its weight range class the Volvo FE320, with its peerless build quality and all-round performance, make it a top choice and after however many years in service, its residual values should be better than average too. This particular truck would be equally at home on daily delivery work or longer distance tramping and this variety of potential task types is often the making of a motor of this size, meaning there’s many an odd job it could handle. The FE bridges the gap between the smaller and larger ends of the market beautifully and whether bought as a one off, or a high volume purchase for role specific work, this Volvo should deliver the best in whole life value for the operator and the driver.