VOLVO Trucks South Africa introduced four new truck ranges to the local market at its new R130 million dealership facility at the Riverhorse Valley Business Estate, in north Durban.
The dealership employs 67 local staff, including 23 qualified diesel mechanics and five apprentices.
Customers and media had the opportunity to experience and test drive the various models around the facility, and was assisted by Volvo Trucks driver trainers and Iron Women drivers. The Iron Women programme is a Volvo Trucks initiative to train more female commercial vehicle drivers, and to empower women to play a larger role in the local transport industry, as well as in the country’s economy.
Senior Manager for Product Support Eric Parry said the new model introduction, its biggest ever, has a strong focus on the driver environment, safety and productivity.
“With the new Volvo FH, Volvo FH16, Volvo FM and Volvo FMX, we are bringing a whole new level of driving experience. And in the process, taking performance and efficiency to new heights,” he said.
The various truck models in Volvo Trucks’ range are available with many different cab models and can be optimised for a wide range of applications.
All models equipped with a new driver interface aimed at making it easier to overview and manage different functions, creating less stress and distraction.
The instrument display is fully digital, with a 12-inch screen that makes it easy for the driver to choose the information needed at any time. Within easy reach of the driver, there is a supplementary nine-inch side display available for infotainment, navigation, transport information and camera monitoring. The functions can be controlled via buttons on the steering wheel, by voice control, or via the touchscreen and display control panel.
Parry said safety had been further improved with functions such as adaptive high beam headlights in the Volvo FH and Volvo FH16. The system improves safety for all road users by automatically disabling selected segments of the LED high beam when the truck approaches oncoming traffic or another vehicle from behind.
Other features include Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) for speeds down to zero km/h and Downhill control automatically activates the service brakes when extra brake force is needed to maintain constant downhill speed.
The Electronically controlled Brake System (EBS), which is a prerequisite for safety features such as Forward Collision Warning with Emergency Brake and Electronic Stability Control, now comes as standard on the new truck. Volvo Dynamic Steering, with the safety systems Lane Keeping Assist and Stability Assist, will be standard on certain models and also be available as an option.
Visibility is further improved by the addition of a camera on the passenger side that provides a complementary view of the side of the truck on the side display. This feature is standard on all models.
Better uptime
Shaun Haripersad, Manager of Pricing and Quotation at Volvo Trucks South Africa said the company had developed a real-time diagnostic system, available in every truck they build, pffering “Unparalleled connectivity and service experts available 24/7. It’s an advantage for updates and repairs that can turn days into hours, and hours into minutes”.
He described Volvo Connect as “a digital home for fleets to access all critical information of their various vehicles’ operation and performance through one interface. It gives fleet managers greater control to manage the efficiency and profitability of their trucks in real-time.”
Volvo Connect provides instant access to a fleet’s positioning and maps, fuel efficiency, vehicle status reports and driver scores. Safety and service features enable fleets to plan service and maintenance of vehicles, monitor safety-critical driving behaviour and usage of Volvo safety systems.
The company’s API Manager system also allows for connection between Volvo’s systems and those of third party applications that fleets might have in use.
”Ultimately, it allows fleets to connect critical aspects of their business in completely new ways,” said Haripersad.
