Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/858523
30 commercial carrier journal | august 2017 Volvo debuts revamped VNL long-haul tractor Makes driver assist system standard BY JEFF CRISSEY V olvo introduced the first major overhaul of its flagship long-haul model, the VNL, since the VN model was introduced in 1996. e truck is "infused with new inno- vations and technologies," said Göran Nyberg, president of Volvo Trucks North America, during the unveiling at Volvo's New River Valley manufacturing facility in Dublin, Va. e new VNL shares many design cues with its VNR regional-haul sibling that was introduced in April to replace the VNM. e VNL will be available in five cab configurations, including daycab, 40-inch flat-roof, 70-inch mid-roof and 70- and 77-inch high-roof options. "For 19 years, the VNL 670 was the volume leader in our long-haul segment," said Jason Spence, Volvo Trucks product marketing manager – long haul. "Moving forward, that 61-inch high-roof sleeper will be replaced by the [70-inch] VNL 760, which will be our new high-volume long-haul model." e VNL's new design gives the truck a distinctive broad stance with lines that taper inward from the roof fairing and through the hood, grille and bumper. Character lines extending from the bumper and continuing over the hood and down the sides of the cab and trailer fairings add to the truck's curb appeal and aid in aerodynamic performance. e tractor will be available in three different fuel economy packages capable of delivering a 7.5 percent improve- ment over the current Volvo VNL XE fuel-efficiency spec. e powertrain improvements account for 6.5 percent fuel efficiency: 5.5 percent from a turbo- compound option for the D13 engine, available in 2018, and 1 percent from a 2.47:1 rear axle ratio. Aerodynamic im- provements add 1 percent fuel economy. ose aerodynamic upgrades include new chassis and roof fairings, reposi- tioned air intakes to reduce turbulence and an aggressively sloped hood and tapered fenders that help channel airflow from the front to the sides. Spence said the company considered input from focus groups and thousands of driver surveys when making design improvements, resulting in "the most comfortable driver-friendly environment we've ever built." e Position Perfect steering wheel Volvo introduced on the VNR also will be available in the VNL. e three-way positioning system allows the steering wheel to tilt up to 20 degrees in relation to the column, as well as traditional column tilt and telescope movements. Position Perfect allows the smallest and largest drivers "the ability to make the adjustments for better visibility and to be more comfortable," said Spence. Also like the VNR, seven seat options will be available for order independent of the three trim level packages selected. e steering wheel also has 21 buttons that allow the driver to navigate the new 5-inch color LCD driver information display, answer and end hands-free phone calls, engage cruise control functions and more. Previously, many of these controls were on a stalk mounted behind the steer- ing wheel, requiring drivers to remove a hand from the wheel to operate them. Volvo's new VNL long-haul tractor can deliver up to a 7.5 percent fuel economy im- provement over the current VNL XE fuel-efficiency spec. The steering wheel has 21 buttons, providing more driver control without hands leaving the wheel.