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1 year ago

Supertest_Volvo_TR

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  • Volvo

SUPERTEST VOLVO FH 500

SUPERTEST VOLVO FH 500 I-SAVE The digital central cluster offers a wide range of options, including an axle load weighing function Door interior cladding extended downwards and larger wheel arch covers Volvo Trucks now fills every last crevice in the front of the FH with black silicone As we all know, every little helps, and this is all the more important when the pressure is on – in this case due to the EU’s ambitious climate targets. That’s why the engineers in Gothenburg, Sweden, put their success story, the FH model, to the test once again – in search of that last bit of potential for improvement in terms of aerodynamics. And they found what they were looking for, but even diehard Volvo enthusiasts will only notice this on second glance. The most striking visual feature is the door interior cladding, which has been extended downwards by a few centimetres. In addition to improved wind resistance, they are supposed to provide another positive side effect: The team at Volvo promises that the step unit is guaranteed to stay dry no matter what the weather is like. IMPROVEMENTS IN DETAIL The mudguard linings are now also longer. This way, they move closer to the tyres, which should minimise air turbulence. Volvo is pursuing the same objective with the extended, flexible rubber lip at the bottom of the frame covers. The compact exterior mirror casings have not escaped unscathed either. Although their basic design remains the same, they now have rounder radii that offer less surface for the headwind to attack. Inci- dentally, there will be no camera-based mirror replacement system at Volvo Trucks for the time being, according to company headquarters. Let’s move on to the front, where the headlight gaps are now smoothed with silicone. However, in the case of the test vehicle at least, this was not exactly done with the utmost care, as some lines were not applied neatly – but the Swedes promise to improve this. A look behind the two folding treads of the front step reveals just how far the engineers went into detail. When folded in, they now come up against a softfoam rubber pad, giving them a better fit. All these measures together should noticeably improve the Cd value and help to reduce fuel consumption by up to 1.2 percent. The technical aspects of the test vehicle, painted in “Nordic Light Metallic”, are not Uphill at 900 rpm thanks to turbo-compound as cutting-edge as the latest measures carried out on the bodywork and plastic: Anyone who orders their new FH today will receive the upgraded model that Volvo Trucks unveiled at the beginning of March. Among other improvements, a new turbo charger and extensive improvements to the I-Shift gearbox and the I-Save package are designed to further reduce fuel consumption. TURBO-COMPOUND TECHNOLOGY I-Save is primarily based on turbo-compound technology, in which an additional turbine downstream of the turbo charger converts the energy of the still-hot exhaust gases into kinetic energy and delivers it directly to the crankshaft. This results in 300 additional Newton metres of torque, which the D13 six-cylinder transmits to the driven wheels from 900 revs upwards. The FH 500 uses this performance advantage primarily to create a feeling of serenity. Despite having a full load on our Fliegl test trailer, the usually fast-shifting I-Shift gearbox was able to take a break on hills most of the time. Even on serious inclines, it went uphill smoothly in top gear at 900 revs. The uphill shifts on the test route could be counted on one hand, despite the long 2.31 rear-axle ratio. And even when the I-Shift did need to get involved on a hill, the needle of the digital bar tachometer never saw the other side of 1200 rpm. This is a driving strategy that dovetails nicely with the Volvo’s other virtues. These include the truck’s exemplary noise insulation as well as its handling characteristics. Despite the single-leaf parabolas installed on the front axle of the test vehicle, the FH has excellent suspension characteristics. We would also highly recommend to buyers the smooth electro-hydraulic steering function “Dynamic Steering Evolution”, which allows you to choose between pre-set steering responses via the touchscreen in the centre console or to create your own steering response by adjusting various steering parameters. TORQUE REDUCTION The Volvo does not mutate into a sluggish Viking as a result of the consistently low engine speeds. Quite the opposite, in fact: It overcame the test hills at an above-average speed, which was reflected in the end in a high average speed of 80.75 km/h for the entire test route. All the more surprising, then, that Volvo Trucks uses a torque reducer as a further economy measure in the Eco mode we used. This means that the FH consciously rolls uphill a few km/h slower than it could actually manage. Unlike the MAN TGX, whose “Efficiency+” system is simi- ▶ Exterior mirror casings now with rounder radii ENGINE PROS AND CONS Top marks for the front step Flexible rubber lip extended downwards for less turbulence When folded in, the treads of the front step now come up against a soft-foam rubber pad, giving them a better fit Above-average torque for this performance class thanks to turbo-compound Sophisticated turbo-compound technology; prices for replacement parts will probably be high in the event of a defect 4 Trucker 4/2022