Astride The Appenines
What better way to appraise the new, all-black, Euro 5 Iveco Stralis than in the country of its birth – Italy. And what better base than Rome. Pity the roads on our official test route were ‘indifferent’ suggesting more of a Roamin’ Holiday in the spring sunshine. Alistair Vallance reports. WHO drew the short straw to lead the ten-rig fleet on the first 20km road test of the day? ‘Just as well I’ve landed the big 560hp AS Super 3 with the 12 speed EuroTronic 2,’ was my first thought since the route itself would require my total concentration – hoping to avoid the scenario of ten 40 tonne artic rigs all following a wrong turning and piling up in the same field! The new Stralis was in fact a dream to drive and my German-speaking host kept me right, and left, as we negotiated A roads and B roads with a retinue of black, Maori logo emblazoned trucks in my mirrors. The flagship, rightly the fleet leader, had all the whistles and bells including an engine brake mounted on the steering column and easily activated by my right hand without taking it off the wheel. In fact the big Stralis had everything in the braking shop window: EBS, ABS, ASR, ESB and ITB! Add five axles with brand new Bridgestones, perfectly dry roads and I felt I could stand the 40 tonner on its nose. But so much for slow down, how about speed up? This is where the mildly applauded and under-lauded Iveco Cursor engine came home to roost. The awesome power of this light 13 litre power plant with full torque even under 1,000 revs, felt right, sounded right and performed constantly on the sweetest of sweet spots, aided and abetted by the EuroTronic 2530 auto box through which the cog teeth embraced with consummate ease. It was a dream drive apart from a lightness of the steering wheel which I put down to poorish road quality. However I found the same mild concern surfacing in my next charge, a ‘lightweight’ Cursor 8 powered 35.6 tonne rig with 360hp under the cab and EuroTronic 2. A five notch intarder at my right hand kept this torquey performer in check. But it was the manual box in the gaffer’s truck – a 420hp Cursor 10 AT medium roof, old door style with a good elbow rest – that had me searching for superlatives. The box was the old faithful ZF double-H 16 speeder and whether it was because I was driving for much of the time with only my left hand on the wheel, but the steering seem to settle down nicely and the drive took me back to days of yore before we went all automated. I can see why the manual box is still an option on the continent and although Britain has gone for the totally automated high ground, for road safety and driver comfort reasons, I wonder if they would allow this well engineered ‘hands on’ driveline through in RHD if sorely pressed – at the same price as EuroTronic 2! It’s a bold move by Iveco UK to go only for Euro 5, but also to insist on a built-in EuroTronic 2 transmission price, plus OBD 2 before its requirement in October, but it has to be said that Iveco are proving today that they have the product of tomorrow up and running already. • The new Stralis range will continue to include Active Day (AD), Active Time (AT) and Active Space (AS) models, with two new AS variants, branded as AS3 and AS Super 3 respectively. The Super 3 marks Iveco’s entry into the premium ‘big cab’ market, with a product offering 20% more internal space (+1.8m2) than the previous AS model, giving it a claim to be one of the most spacious two man high roof cabs available on the market. Features inside include larger, more comfortable bunks, a 15% increase in storage space, new heated and multi-adjustable seats (with longitudinal reach increased by 40mm), revised dashboard with new multifunctional display, larger folding table, additional lighting and a striking grey and black interior trim, very much in the All Blacks mode. The Super 3 model includes many of the same features and benefits in a low roof cab layout, and will be available to order in the UK from late 2007. With all new models featuring the EuroTronic gearbox, this continues the trend Iveco started with the launch of the original Stralis in 2002, when it became the first heavy truck to be fitted with automated gearboxes as standard. AS models are designed specifically for long haul UK and international haulage, the AT for distribution and fleet operations as well as medium to long-haul domestic missions, and the AD at short-haul distribution markets for rigid, tractor and drawbar applications. (See Coca-Cola story). The new Stralis will benefit from a comprehensive two year, unlimited mileage warranty. This replaces the previous policy whereby each new Stralis was supplied with a full warranty for the first year, supported by a driveline only warranty in the second year. Transport News understands Iveco is also offering this extended warranty on new deliveries of all current model Stralis vehicles.