Iveco X-Way

IVECO X-WAY OFFERS ON ROAD COMFORT & DRIVEABILITY

First impressions are usually a reliable barometer; you are either impressed or you’re not, and so it was with our first encounter of Iveco’s new X-Way 480 when we had an opportunity to find out how it performed on our local roads, writes Export & Freight’s Phil Eaglestone.

You can’t argue with the fact that the new Iveco X-Way presents an impressive sight at first glance, but as we all know looks are not everything; it is what lies beneath that tells the whole story, which was why we were happy to climb on board our road test AD360X42Z OFF 8x4, complete with a Boweld tipper light steel body and Edbro UB16 tipping gear. We picked up the tipper at NI Trucks in Mallusk and headed up the A8 towards Larne with a few strict guidelines to follow, making it not your ‘normal’ road test. Because it was a spanking brand new truck which had been booked for test drives by other customers our instructions were to keep it in pristine condition. It had to be driven on main roads only, with Iveco UK also stipulating that we were not permitted to put any kind of load on the tipper. According to Iveco, this new X-Way ‘marks the perfect crossing between on-road comfort, connectivity and driveability and the strength and toughness required for those tasks that see last mile delivery points away from the beaten track.’ Well, we were not to take it ‘away from the beaten track’ but that said, we were able to adequately assess its handling and performance on the open road. Back to those first impressions: they were good. It wasn’t the first time our roads were ‘graced’ by the X-Way; an AD360X48Z OFF 8x4 tipper made a short appearance back in June when local operators were able to get up close and personal with it, and like us, they came away pretty satisfied. Finished in eye-catching metallic orange paintwork, our 32-tonner was powered by a Cursor 11 litre 480hp engine matched to what is a proven and well-received 12-speed automated Hi-Tronix gearbox with which features a host of functionalities such as Rocking Mode, Off-road Mode, Creeping Mode and 4 reverse gears to tackle with ease the off-road sections of your journey, although for us, not on this occasion! What we were able to appreciate was the spacious, well designed and comfortable cab that offers all the storage you need, with well laid-out capacious compartments; indeed, the shaped upper shelf has a massive capacity of 250 litres. Clearly created with the driver in mind, we found the X-Way gives you an excellent

A TRUCK THAT HAS CLEARLY BEEN DESIGNED WITH THE DRIVER IN MIND

working environment with outstanding ergonomics and controls layout, more space and excellent visibility. We have to agree with Iveco when they claim ‘every single detail has been carefully studied to meet the driver’s expectations on the road.’ And that’s a good thing in these days of driver shortages, as well as continual complaints about lack of roadside facilities which can give the industry a bad image, pushing away potential recruits. We have driven a lot of trucks in our time and it’s those that offer a ‘home from home’ environment that are instrumental in combating negative reactions. Iveco’s new X-Way scores highly in all areas; it is honestly a joy to drive.

Advanced Features

The new X-Way integrates Iveco’s best, most advanced features and driving assistance functions such as eco-roll, predictive gear shifting and predictive cruise control, and we certainly found it at home on the open road. Other features include automatic climate control, electrically adjustable & heated door mirrors, air horns, full-Air cab seating with red safety belts, radiator guards, Alcoa Diamant alloy wheels, external sun visor, idle cutoff, leather steering wheel and a swivelling 7” touch-screen infotainment system. It is also equipped with full LED lighting (front/rear/roof beacons) with cornering lights and protection bars, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, servo-assisted cab tilting, door roller blinds, DSE + DAS (Driving Style Evaluation & Driver Attention Support) and ESP. The X-Way comes with a choice of cabs: the AD (Active Day) short cab with low roof, AT (Active Time) sleeper cab with low or medium roof, and for ultimate comfort, the AS (Active Space) sleeper cab.