Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/85442
AHEAD OF THE CURVE This 2013 Volvo 670 sports DuPont's brilliant Glacier White color scheme. DRIVE TEST The Volvo VN, still true to its roots, evolves to new levels of performance, aerodynamics and safety. By Jack Roberts baddest truck in the lineup, complete with every bell and whistle. So I'm a little surprised when I arrive at Volvo's headquarters in Greensboro, N.C., to discover Frank Bio, Volvo's product manager, has selected a mid-level trim VN 670 for my drive. In Bio's nearly 40-year career with Mack and Volvo, he's probably for- gotten more about trucks than most people will ever know. I quickly see his wisdom in selecting a mid-tier A 48 | Overdrive | August 2012 sk a truck maker if you can take one of their trucks for a spin, and they usu- ally toss you the keys to the tractor to show Overdrive: It packs a ton of performance and capability to boot, and there's nothing middling about its appointments. During a walk-around, it's easy to forget just how different the VN tractor was when it first appeared on the North American market in 1996. It was one of the first true aerody- namic tractors, a real departure from the long, square noses of most other trucks. Then, Bio says, "a lot of people just didn't see the point. Fuel was sell- ing for about $2 a gallon. But when fuel prices skyrocketed, the VN made perfect sense to fleets and owner- operators alike. And today, virtually every truck you see introduced to the market has an aerodynamic design." Volvo engineers haven't let up over the years, so this is still one of the most slippery tractor designs avail- able. This particular truck features Volvo's full-on aerodynamic package with an adjustable roof wing, full side fairings and a host of back-of-cab features designed to facilitate air flow around the cab-trailer gap. The spacious cab interior looks bet- ter than a typical medium-level trim package. The skylight and upper side Photos by Robert Ponzoni