REDUCED CAPACITY – INCREASED PERFORMANCE

Road Test

REDUCED CAPACITY - INCREASED PERFORMANCE

SCANIA IS THE ONLY TRUCK MAKER ON THE PLANET OFFERING A V8 TURBO DIESEL THESE DAYS AND WHILE IT IS THE FLAGSHIP ENGINE IN THE SWEDISH BRAND’S RANGE, ONE WONDERS HOW LONG THE BIG BANGER V8 WILL LAST IN A WORLD THAT SEEMS TO BE ALL ABOUT DOWNSIZING AND ALWAYS IMPROVING EFFICIENCY. THAT IS BROUGHT INTO SHARPER FOCUS WITH SCANIA’S LATEST 13 LITRE 540 HP OFFERING WHICH WE TOOK FOR A TEST RECENTLY.

Thinking about the future of Scania’s big banger V8 was something we pondered when we slipped behind the wheel of Scania’s latest R540, which is the most recent upgrade to the Swede’s 13 litre six cylinder, delivering another 40hp and 150Nm over the previous top spec for the 13 litre.

Scania will tell you that the V8 is here to stay because it is a modular design and many of the components are interchangeable, save for perhaps the block, but even that has some commonality.

Don’t get us wrong, we love that Scania V8 and want to see it hang around, but when this 13 litre can match the torque of the 520hp version of the 16 litre V8 then you know some buyers are going to be considering their options in a bid to save money and fuel.

Of course the other benefit of the 13 litre six is the reduced weight over the front axle, a factor that reduces the mass over the front by 300kg compared with the V8, so if that front axle weight is critical the 13 litre six has a lot of appeal.

We met up with Scania’s driver trainer, Dave Whyte at the company dealership at Prestons in Sydney’s south west, where the R540 with was saddled up and ready to go with a B-Double set tethered to the prime mover and the rig grossing 58.5 tonnes.

Our test trip would take us south to Goulburn and back on the Hume, taking the run up the steep hills to the Southern Highlands, and then reaping the benefits of the downhill run on the way back. However, this run is typical for many trucks specced like this, running from logistics warehouses into the Sydney urban areas and back.

Hitting out on to the M7 south toward the Hume, the quiet, no fuss way the 12-speed overdrive Opticruise equipped with an additional two crawler gears is

clearly ideally matched to the engine and always seems to be in the correct gear, maximising the matching with the Scania’s torque profile. The 13 litre’s peak torque output is available between 1000 and 1300rpm and the 12-speed consistently stays in the peak torque band.

The updated 540 Euro 6 version 13-litre boasts a fixed geometry turbocharger fitted with ball bearings supporting the shaft, while it also utilises its own spin-on oil filter to extend component life. There is also a revised turbo housing which has been designed to enable a more rapid engine response, which Scania says achieves faster spool up by using the improved utilisation of the pulse energy inherent in the engine. It has also been given different inlet and exhaust manifolds, while the pistons, rings and cylinder bores have been treated with low friction coatings to reduce drag and to deliver more power and reduce fuel efficiency.

Scania engineers have utilised revised SCR and DPF filters to achieve Euro 6 emission compliance, which is becoming increasingly important for many larger fleets, keen to present better green credentials for corporate clients.

Heading south on the Hume there is a persistent and constant climb up into the Southern Highlands and the torque of the new 13 litre showed its quality, easily tackling the hills, hauling the B-Double set.

The ease the 13-litre showed on the climb to Goulburn belied its smaller capacity and fuel efficient nature, marching up the inclines like a 16 litre while still delivering really strong fuel numbers. The onboard trip computer indicated that we had achieved just under 2.0km/litre, a figure that would be bettered on the return run.. The toughest climbs including the Aylmerton Hill and the tough run up the Welby Hill a few kilometres later saw the 13-litre pulling strongly, with the gearbox nearly hanging on to 10th and only slotting into 9th just before the summits on both hills. It was a very impressive performance that demonstrated why this engine will become a strong option for fleets looking to maximise efficiency.

The 3.42:1 axle ratio, the truck was running is part of the overall equation delivering the right mix for the transmission to hang on to higher gears and that ensured the perfect recipe for fuel efficiency.

As the climb levels out a little and runs the undulations on the way to Marulan and on to Goulburn, the Scania rarely moves out of 12th, ambling along with the intelligent cruise control system employing eco-roll off the hills to make up some ground, after those earlier, steep fuel burning hills.

One thing that really stands out in the Scania is the low level of noise in the cabin. We now know that noise is a really big factor in fatigue and clearly the Scania engineers have done a great job reducing noise intrusion. This would also be helped by the engine speed down philosophy of the driveline, with all of the factors making for a very pleasant and comfortable work environment. The only truck we have driven lately that is quieter than this Scania is the MirrorCam equipped Mercedes-Benz Actros. By the time we reach Goulburn for a quick lunch break, fuel consumption had improved and faced with the largely downhill run back to Scania in Prestons the signs were encouraging that we would achieve an even better efficiency figure.

Scania says the combined formula applied to this truck through its greater engine efficiency, and driveline performance delivers a 2.5 per cent improvement in fuel consumption.

The efficiency gains are not just as a result of the previously mentioned factors, but also because of things like a smart coolant pump and by employing a more efficient power steering pump that is computer controlled, to reduce engagement at low demand levels to further improve fuel efficiency.

Not only is the cab interior quieter it is also very comfortable and well appointed, more like a luxury car than a truck with the R spec cab offering plenty of room and a good size bunk. The option of the G cab is also available with the 540 engine, while the S cab is available as a special order.

Heading back to Sydney the Scania’s excellent braking and retardation package is shown to great effect. The system is integrated into the Adaptive Cruise Control system that allows the truck to determine the most efficient descents, utilising both eco-roll with the engine spinning over at idle and the transmission disengaged, or with the fuel supply switched off and the engine braking controlling the truck’s speed.

We reckon the combination of the Scania’s retarder and engine exhaust

braking package is close to the best on the market ensuring confidence inspiring retardation on downhill runs.

The system is easy to use allowing you to select your ideal speed with the Cruise Control and then by simply tapping the brake, a complimentary process is triggered between the Retarder, the Opticruise gearbox, as well as the exhaust brake and the conventional disc brake system, all of which operates without any fuss or trouble to ensure a safe descent speed, no matter what the downhill run is like.

The whole system is intertwined and networked so that everything works in sync. This means that if additional braking is required the Opticruise transmission will shift down to help increase the exhaust braking power, while brake blending will ensure that the retarder braking is maximised, which in turn takes some of the heat and wear out of the service brakes.

Scania’s other weapon is its excellent Retarder or Intarder as some call them, which works superbly and also very quietly, in fact all of the exhaust/engine, retarder, braking is achieved with minimal noise or fuss inside the cab.

The auxillary braking systems are all manually controlled on the right hand steering column stalk which also handles the controls for the transmission.

It should be no surprise that a Scania like this is packed chock full of the latest driver aids and safety technology, including naturally, the Adaptive Cruise Control (We see it as a safety tech item), Emergency Autonomous Braking, Lane Departure Warning, a drivers SRS airbag and seat belt pretensioners.

Scania has also revised its Hill Hold ‘app’ which now holds the truck still on a hill without rollback until you press the accelerator. On previous models this function operated for just three seconds, so the revision will be a welcome one.

By the time we arrived back at the Scania facility in Prestons the fuel consumption was sitting at just under 2.1km/litre, which for a 13 litres loaded to 58.5 tonnes can only be considered impressive.

This is a mighty good truck, with strong torque from a fuel efficient and economical 13 litre six cylinder. As we said earlier this is an engine option that is going to have huge appeal for fleets looking to downsize the fuel bill, without costing in terms of on road performance.

It has so much more going for it apart from just fuel efficiency. It s quiet, safe, comfortable and flexible and it is little wonder that the versatile and intelligent Swedish truck maker has been one of the star performers on the Australian market in recent times. Now that some of its supply issues have been solved the New Truck Generation Scania’s have been soaring up the sales charts, and the little Swede has been taking sales away from some of its bigger rivals.

The 540 will win plenty of friends and buyers for Scania and goes to the nub of efficient operation so watch this space.