Volvo, Mack, to discontinue 16-liter diesel immediately
Volvo Trucks North America announced to its dealers on Jan. 20 that effective immediately, the OEM would cease production and distribution of its 16-liter D16 diesel engine. Aftermarket service and support for all D16s currently in the field will continue unimpeded.
The decision to cease 16-liter engine production will also affect Mack Trucks, which is owned by Volvo. Therefore, Mack will stop offering its MP10 16-liter engine, which shares major design and production attributes with the D16.
According to a company spokesperson, Volvo made the decision based on limited demand for the large-displacement diesel and the long-term investment that would be required to keep it in the market.
Additionally, Volvo noted that general trends in the North American trucking industry toward smaller-displacement diesels, which are lighter and more fuel efficient, also bolstered the determination to cease D16 production. Production of Volvo’s 13-liter D13 diesel will not be effected.
The D16 engine was an option on Volvo VNL and VNX models. The VNL will continue to be available with the Volvo D11, Volvo D13 and Cummins X15 engines.
Volvo said the heavy-duty VNX model will remain in its product lineup. The company is currently evaluating engine solutions that will allow it to keep offering it in the future.
In the interim, Volvo intends to offer an “X-package” for the VNL model, which will provide the ride height and heavy-haul attributes of the VNX with 500-hp versions of either the Volvo D13 or Cummins X15 engine.
Volvo said the package will include a 20,000-lb front axle, dual steering gears, heavy-duty bumper, chrome grille, and high ride height for improved ground clearance. The Volvo I-Shift AMT is standard on trucks equipped with a D11 or D13 engine and manual transmissions are available as an option. The X15 engine is available with a manual transmission or with the Eaton Ultrashift transmission.
