Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/893962
50 | Overdrive | October 2017 driver information display, use the phone hands-free and activate the cruise con- trol functions without taking a hand off the wheel. USB and 12-volt power supplies have been moved adjacent to a storage tray in the top of the dash, keeping charging wires from hang- ing down and obstructing switches and AC controls, and keeping mobile devices from clogging up cupholders. The new-look VNL was also outfitted with a front sway bar that enables finesse steering and improves han- dling by mitigating oversteer. The more responsive steering is remarkable in that twitches to the wheel center the truck in its lane more smoothly rather than sloshing it from side to side. Volvo's Active Driver Assist, integrated with Bendix's Wingman Fusion collision warning and mitiga- tion platform, is standard on all VNLs. I was able to test it when a four-wheeler in front of me skidded to a halt to make a right turn from the center lane. The VNL will be avail- able in five configurations: day cab, 40-inch flat-roof, 70-inch mid-roof and 70- and 77-inch high-roof. The VNL 670 was the best-sell- ing Volvo truck for long- haul for almost two decades, but the 61-inch high-roof sleeper will be replaced by the VNL 760 and its 70-inch sleeper. I spent one night tucked into a VNL 740 mid-roof. The sleeping quarters were a bit tight but cozy, thanks to the interior fit and finish, including a mattress that's as comfortable as the one in your home. A cabin control panel gives the driver easy access to USB and 12-volt charging and light, audio and cabin temperature controls without having to get up. An additional door lock switch and panic button add a level of security. Airplane-style shades replace curtains and fasten- ers, and a dense blackout curtain chokes out what's left of the sun or streetlights. Bunk options include a dinette/work station and a reclining bunk originally introduced on the Volvo FH in Europe, which lets the driver sit up in bed while relaxing. The head raises and lowers with a lever. Combined with a wall-mounted pocket table, it makes for a comfortable workstation. Volvo's outgoing VNL is still by most accounts a modern design and was well ahead of its time when it debuted in 2002. With the introduction of the com- pany's refreshed lineup, the venerable VNL leaps from modern to cutting edge with its 14.2 percent share to-date of the U.S. long-haul market in tow. Sales of the Volvo powertrain hit record levels in 2016 as Volvo engines made up 94.5 percent of all orders. With greenhouse gas '17 emissions regulations now in play, a new option was placed into rotation. Volvo's turbo-compounding D13 engine uses a waste heat recovery system to increase brake thermal efficiency and is the company's most fuel-efficient offering. The setup puts about 50 extra horsepower back into the engine, allowing for a high degree of downspeeding at a range of 1,000 to 1,200 rpm. Peak torque is available down to 900 rpm, about 200 rpm above idle. The engine is strong, pulling a 77,000-pound gross around a North Carolina interstate for roughly 70 miles with 455 hp and 1,850 lb.-ft. of torque. Volvo's turbo-compounding setup is unique in that one turbo doesn't simply feed air into another. The single fixed turbo system sends exhaust to the compressor wheel, which pres- surizes intake air through the charger cooler in one direction; in the other direction, it supplies exhaust pressure to the turbo-compounding unit, which uses an extra turbine wheel posi- tioned in the exhaust stream and is connected to a fluid coupling. That airflow turns a network of reduction gears until the energy is returned to the crankshaft. In the early days of waste heat recovery, the extra horsepower was added to the top end of an engine's power band, which meant drivers had to give the truck full throttle to get maxi- mum horsepower. The Volvo setup adds the 50 extra horsepower to a base of around 400 de- pending on engine spec and takes work off the engine by turning some of the otherwise wasted exhaust heat into energy. Plainly put: You burn less fuel to do the same amount of work. Integrated with the turbo-compounding D13, the I-Shift transmission will run and hold in 11th gear at lower highway speeds as the load dic- tates. It doesn't search for gearing, and shifts are smooth and predictable. With rpms of about 1,130 in direct drive, drivers will see full efficiency even in city conditions, allowing trucks to run in slower speed zones without sacrificing fuel-efficiency benefits. Turbo compounding accounts for a 3 percent fuel-effi- ciency boost versus the standard D13 engine due partially to the 2.47:1 rear axle ratio that was designed to optimize this engine setup. POWERTRAIN: SAME WORK DONE WITH LESS FUEL Volvo's Position Perfect steering wheel features a three-way positioning system that allows the 18-inch steering wheel to tilt up to 20 degrees. LUXURY OLD AND NEW