(^90) August 2019 Truck & Driver
TEAM T&D
Reassuringly expensive?
Chris continues his search for a Euro 6, this month the S500 proving itself a worthy contender
A
fter a working life filled
with tales from the Tangs
of how spectacular their
steeds are, and once
being particularly underwhelmed
by a brand-new 2002 420
Topline, I approached the
impending arrival of a new S500
in April with something between
resignation to my fate and a
determination to hate the thing.
The guys from Scania Leeds
brought her to the yard and the
handover was the most thorough
Testing times: Scania S500 comes under Chris’s scrutiny. He has mixed feelings about the design
of any marque I’ve had; the sales
people obviously want to
guarantee that prospective
buyers see the truck at its best.
A good start
The controls are all clear and
straightforward and straight away
I knew the driving position and
steering wheel adjustment was
well thought out and that the
scope would suit anyone from
Danny DeVito to Joe Marler.
Out on the road, first drive to
Leeds to tip a 25-tonne load, the
manners of the truck were
impeccable; smooth uptake,
balanced power, slick upshifts
and very good all-round vision.
She was soon up to limiter
speed and within the first 10
miles, fuel usage was
approaching the mystical 10mpg.
Going into the roadworks at
Stourton on the M621, the
retarder held the cruise without
the need to up the stage and the
service brakes were not needed
until coming off at Junction 3.
Visibility while backing onto
the bay was fantastic and the
low-gear split in reverse handled
the crawl perfectly. So far, so
annoyingly good! Later that day,
leaving Killingholme for Forfar, I
was starting, much to my disdain,
to believe the hype!
Stopping for a break and
diesel at The Golden Fleece at
Carlisle, I stood back and looked
at the lines of the cab. From the
side the Scania has the feel of
something that has been
designed by someone with an
eye for functionality and style, but
from the front viewpoint the
square ‘forehead’ looks like
something of an afterthought.
The climbs of the M74 and
beyond were just details for the
punchy six-cylinder lump and still
the fuel economy hovered
around the high 9s. On arrival at
the brickworks in Forfar for the
night, I felt as though I’d spent
the evening in a good chair at
home... The lack of fatigue after
a 15-hour day was astounding!
Interior touches
With parking found and the shift
over, exploration of the interior
revealed some very nice touches.
The red cabin lighting and
dimmer set-up oozes quality and
the adjustable bunk is a fine
piece of kit; just slide the seats
forward and there’s another six
inches of width available, as the
bunk slides out from the back
CHRIS MADDISON
romina
(Romina)
#1