Renault’s Camion Without Concerns
The honours go to a Renault Premium 450.18 4x2LD for Scotland’s first full Euro 4 road test, with their 40 tonne SCR equipped tractor unit. John Henderson reports that it’s more a case of sacre blue than AdBlue! IN TODAY’S mainstream UK distribution and logistics markets, the 4x2 tractor unit plays an important part, with most of the big supermarket groups and a number of their associated hauliers relying heavily on them. It’s a customer base that no serious commercial vehicle manufacturer can afford to ignore, so naturally I was keen to be offered a full day’s test in the latest Euro 4 version of the Renault Premium, after receiving encouraging views on this new contender. From the outside the Premium long distance cab has always been aesthetically pleasing to look at and the smooth, modern design leaves plenty room for a good livery! My steed with its wine red paintwork and excellent graphics was no exception, looking very 21st century with its roof deflector, chassis side skirts and fully loaded box trailer with valances. Looks are one thing and performance is another, so after a quick tour round the main controls and features on the driver’s side of the cab by Renaults national demonstration specialist Neill Attwaters, I was keen to be off from Abington services to see how this ‘camion’ performed. Heading north on the M74, progress was good and unflustered while I settled in for the first few miles. The five axle outfit tipped the scales at 40 tonnes precisely and the 6 cylinder engine’s 450 horses pulled our concrete laden trailer eagerly and smoothly with just the right amount of noise feeding back into the calm and quiet confines of the cabin. Traffic was fairly light, but any requirements for extra power on hills or overtakes were duly delivered without fuss, staying in 12th (top) gear, complemented with the rear axle ratio of 2.84:1. The demonstration vehicle came equipped with Renault’s Optidriver+ gearbox pack, ably assisted by the Optibrake which combines the forces of the exhaust brake and engine valve brake retarder, delivering a superb stopping force. As the day’s goal was best possible fuel economy, I let the truck work away in full auto and it showed just how well sorted the system is, with ultra smooth changes keeping the truck in the green band of the rev counter and delivering the maximum 2,140Nm of torque between 1,100 and 1,300rpm, whenever required. The dual action retarder can be selected via a stalk mounted switch on the left of the steering column, which offers three levels of deceleration. Digressing briefly, the aforementioned steering column has four stalks and initially gives the impression of being a bit crowded, but once on the move the logical placement of these controls soon becomes apparent with repeated use. The cruise control/radio/monitoring system controls are also mounted on the wheel and again are straightforward to use. The cruise control is naturally knocked out by foot brake or retarder use, but once clear of the hazard, reselecting of the resume button will automatically take the motor back to the previously set speed, making life easy for the driver. With fine winter sunshine and flat calm conditions, driving the Premium soon became a real pleasure and we quickly ticked off the M74, M73, M80 and M9 from our first leg as we cruised happily to the first timed hill climb on the A9 at Cairnie Brae, just after the Findo Gask road end. The digital speedometer and dash display showed we dropped to 31mph in 10th gear on the climb, but again the Optidriver+ took it all in its stride and the truck pulled back effortlessly to top gear and set cruising speed quickly after the summit. Surrounded by the fine Perthshire scenery, I soon appreciated the all round visibility of the spacious, high roof cab, which must be class leading for lack of blind spots. The low door window and windscreen lines, combined with the new regulation Euro mirrors, mounted at a decent distance from the cab, give the driver a panoramic view of events around the rig’s entire periphery and beyond. Our spacious top spec cab came with a long arm’s list of equipment and although this truck is aimed at trunking operations, serious distance work with four or five nights out in the Premium would not be a problem. Storage cupboards abound inside and out of the cab and a useful shelf with power supply and tie down hooks above the passenger seat is tailor made for the essential TV fitment! typical of the thought and design implemented in this interior. Ongoing progress is easily monitored with the clear dashboard displays and the switch gear is well marked and close to hand, with only the trailer coupling light button being located at the driver’s right knee, enabling it to be reached when standing outside with the door open, another nice touch. The comfortable, air sprung driver’s seat is fully adjustable, along with the steering column, allowing the preferred driving position to be set up in seconds. The bunk area was fitted with a substantial looking wide mattress, all above a good sized slide out fridge and the carpets, curtains and general interior finish all seem made to last and looked easy to clean. After a right turn at Perth’s Broxden roundabout we headed south for Kinross services for our first halt. This was the first Renault I had driven for quite a few years and I averaged 8.50mpg over the 106 odd miles. With a regular driver over a familiar run route this figure could no doubt be bettered and probably honed to well above the 9mpg mark. To allow me to prove the Premium over a variety of route types, the next leg saw us continue down the M90, over the Forth Road Bridge and head into town via the centre of Leith and then onto Musselburgh services by the A1. Fuel consumption would of course not be record breaking, but as we had already returned decent figures, the emphasis now was on manoeuvrability and handling in busy streets and confined junctions. The now well over schedule road works on Ferry Road cost us around 10 minutes, but allowed me to test the precise steering and useful mirrors properly with some narrow gaps to negotiate. Time and again the auto shifts combined with the ZF gearbox, excelled itself in slow speed situations and bumper to bumper traffic, with the throttle offering precise control down to the slowest of speeds, and no surprise up shifts or surges. The urban section of 34.23 miles would take 1 hour and 14 minutes to traverse and in the old days of clutched gear changes and brake pedal only, would have been definitely classed as hard work, but no so with the Premium as I climbed down from the cab wondering where the time had gone. Onto the last section, we headed west round the city bypass and off at the Fairmilehead junction to join the demanding A702 trunk road back to Abington. After a ‘no reason at all’ mile crawl for Sheriffhall roundabout, normal progress was resumed and after just a few hours behind the wheel, I realised just how stress free this truck is to drive. The Biggar Road offers plenty of bends, crests and other rural hazards, over an ever changing terrain and I found myself using the service brake regularly for the first time in the day, as the retarder had done most of the work earlier on. Needless to say the electronically controlled all-round disc brakes were fresh and effective, with the pedal travel being just right and not too severe or deep. With plenty of HGVs using this route, which is narrowish in places, precise steering movements and road positioning are essential, but the Renault rose to the challenge and delivered everything asked of it in a forgiving and compliant way with the full air suspension and electronic stabilisation programme, ironing out the many undulations beautifully. The circular route on the day of our test could easily be dubbed the ‘Premium route’ as other similar French built models operated by TNT, MRS Distribution and Duncan Adams, to name but a few, seemed to be in abundance, giving us a real sense of deja vu! Ahead of us a low setting orange globe of a sun soon brought the visors down and then the fading light required the highly effective Xenon headlights to be switched on, which guided us back across the final piece of Lanarkshire moor land to our starting point of six hours earlier. After an enjoyable day’s driving, I could not think of any concerns at all about this extremely competent 4x2 tractor unit. Renault should be shouting from the rooftops about its Premium, as it ticks all the boxes for a much wider range of customers than it was perhaps originally aimed at. Hard pressed, I’d say the interior seat colours were not to my taste, but working behind the wheel this truck offers effortless driving, great levels of safety and performance, with the flexibility to excel on any type of British or European route. Oh, and by the way, it’s an SCR equipped Euro 4 truck too! What’s all the fuss about AdBlue? With an average fill of one tank of the new stuff required, to every fourth full tank of diesel, to me that’s the only discernible difference. The Renault Premium has evolved incredibly well and is without a doubt up among the front runners on any operational criteria.