New Scania tough off-road trucks

Scania's new off-road trucks are purpose-designed to cope with the toughest conditions encountered in the industry. The new frontal styling is utterly functional, encompassing robust solutions to protect vulnerable components, thus reducing repair costs and avoiding non-profitable downtime.

The off-road trucks are initially based on the spacious Scania G-series. A full range of P-series models will follow at a later stage. The new trucks benefit from all improvements, new features and functions introduced recently on Scania trucks, such as Scania Opticruise with off-road mode, new traction control features and the new retarder with enhanced low-speed performance, as well as all innovations on the chassis side.

A wide choice of Euro 3, Euro 4, Euro 5, EEV and Euro 6 engines is available, all of which except Euro 6 can operate on up to 100 percent biodiesel (special maintenance demands). A number of modular gearbox options are also available, tailored to meet specific requirements.

Strong bumper structure

The sturdy steel bumper protrudes 135mm to protect the cab from minor bumps, an additional 80mm compared to the previous protruding bumper, which is still available. Yet the new bumper has an attack angle of a full 25 degrees which, together with generous ramp and departure angles, for example, make the vehicle liable for off-road classification and thus exempt from the front underrun protection requirement. The bumper is very strong and is capable of withstanding a great deal of impact without deforming. It is separately mounted, without connections to other components that might be damaged in case of harsh shocks, which reduces the need to visit the workshop for repairs.

35-tonne tow pin

Integrated in the bumper is a strong tow pin with a capacity of 35 tonnes (10 tonnes more than the standard item), allowing the vehicle to be towed out of trouble without the need to unload in most situations.

A protective shield runs backwards from the bumper to protect the lower part of the charge-cooler and radiator and the front end of the sump.

Purposeful looks

The new off-road trucks have been styled to look the part and to be fit for the toughest tasks. The solid black grille and bumper structure reinforces the impression of strength and continues the 'wrapping T' theme that is so unmistakably Scania. In addition, some unique off-road styling and comfort touches make the vehicles stand out even more from the crowd.

The headlamp and indicator units are mounted separately and further away from the bumper for additional protection against impact. Steel guards are fitted on the headlamp units and on the optional fog lights and spotlights, which are integrated in the bumper structure. A robust fixed headlamp cleaning system is available.

To avoid damage from minor bumps, the boarding steps are separated from the bumper. The bottom boarding step is suspended by rubber belts that deflect on impact. The cab tilt is in a shielded position behind the bumper on the kerbside.

Automated gear changing and clever traction control for off-road operation

A new operating mode for Scania Opticruise is being introduced, with gear changing optimised for off-road and tough construction operation. Allied to Scania's traction control panel, where all controls related to traction are gathered, this gives drivers maximum support for trouble-free driving in adverse conditions.

Scania Opticruise

In conjunction with the introduction of the new R-series in 2009, a new version of Scania Opticruise was launched featuring a choice of fully automatic operation or with a clutch pedal, depending on preference, as well as a brand new strategy for optimum performance and fuel economy. The system has now also proven itself as one of the best in the market in terms of gear changing strategy, shift quality and driver ergonomics.

Many clever functions stand out, such as the manoeuvring mode that provides high precision control of the vehicle at very low speeds and a rocking mode that is automatically engaged if the drive wheels are spinning.

Several Opticruise parameters can be adjusted by any Scania workshop to tailor the functionality to the conditions at hand. Power mode and kickdown can be disabled, for example. Starting gear is automatic, but the default starting gear can be re-programmed.

New off-road mode

A new driving mode adapted to rough terrain and driving on soft surfaces complements Normal mode and Power mode. Off-road mode is standard on vehicles specified for off-road driving and for driving on soft or loose ground with high rolling resistance.

Traction Panel

Differential lock and traction control are fitted to most Scania trucks. All controls related to traction - differential lock, traction control and weight transfer - are grouped in one intuitive module on the dashboard, close to the gear changing hand. Adjacent to the rotary switch are controls for lifting the tag axle or transferring weight between bogie axles.

Rotary difflock switch

In the centre of the panel module is the rotary switch for the differential locks that engages all locks on the vehicle in the right sequence to provide increasing traction, while maintaining as much steerability as possible. Progress is indicated in the central instrument with pictograms displaying the status for each axle.

Traction control - normal or off-road mode

The traction control function on vehicles with electronic brakes (EBS) has the following features:
_ The rotary difflock switch is pushed to engage off-road mode. This is discreetly indicated in the instrument cluster.
_ Controllable slip. To enable experienced drivers to search for maximum traction, the slip level is now dependent on the throttle position, that is, more throttle results in higher slip.
_ More precise engine torque reduction. This ensures that the turbo pressure is maintained to avoid unwanted down changes when driving uphill in slippery conditions.

Options

A host of options are available including an air-suspension 9-tonne front axle, full air suspension combined with drum brakes on 6x4, 8x4 and 8x4 rear-steer models with high capacity 19/21/26-tonne hub reduction bogie.

Rear air suspension is optional on some models, as is two-spring air suspension on 4x2, 6x2 and 6x4 tractor units.

While full European specifications have been announced by Scania, final details of models to be introduced locally are yet to be finalised.