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Volvo’s New VNL Tractor Blends Technology, Functionality, Capability

Trucking reporters took the new Volvo VNL for a spin on the test track at Volvo's New River Valley facility. Photo: Jack Roberts

A lot has happened in the 20 years since Volvo Trucks North America last introduced a Class 8 highway tractor. The excitement among Volvo engineers, designers and executives at the company's New River Valley, Virginia, manufacturing facility and sparking-new Customer Center was palpable for the official unveiling of the 2018 VNL tractor on July 11.

Volvo's VN model, which debuted in 1996, was a tremendous step forward in terms of aerodynamic design. So in terms of styling, the new VNL is more of a refinement instead of a departure. The design DNA the new VNL inherited from its predecessor is clearly evident, although the new truck features a pointedly more wide-bodied stance, with tapering lines flowing down and toward the rear of the tractor. It is an aesthetically pleasing look — this is a sharp-looking truck — but it is also a design with function: The new truck boosts a 1% boost in aerodynamic efficiency compared to the older design. That doesn't sound like a lot. But, as Volvo on-highway product manager Jason Spence, notes, when you're in an industry that celebrates a tenth of a percent boost in fuel economy, 1% is not bad at all.

More savings come from pairing the new aerodynamic design with Volvo's latest fuel-focused powertrain technologies. This includes downspeed cruising at just a shade over 1,100 rpm and a new, compound-turbocharger option for the high-horsepower D13 that will be available next year. All told, Volvo engineers say the new VNL delivers a full 7.5% boost in fuel economy compared to the latest models of the previous-generation VN tractor.

While the truck's exterior builds upon proven Volvo design cues, inside the cab ...Read the rest of this story