GREENSBORO, N.C. – While familiarizing myself with Volvo’s I-Shift automated transmission, I had the chance to spend some time driving the company’s VT 880 truck with 600 hp D16 engine.

This is a truck I’m extremely fond of, with traditional styling and a large, luxurious cab. Despite the big hood, visibility is excellent. Thanks to a 45-degree wheel cut, I had no trouble maneuvering the truck despite its 270-inch wheelbase and gaping trailer gap.

The EPA 07 engine lived up to expectations and had no troubles conquering the many hills we encountered on a drive through North Carolina and into Virginia. That included Old Fancy Gap and its winding 7% grade.

Volvo’s Ed Saxman said Volvo trucks in the real-world experience a passive DPF regeneration about once a day. When a regeneration is about to occur, a warning appears on the driver display.

The driver can over-ride the re-gen if he or she chooses – say, for instance when pulling into a yard to make a propane delivery.

If a driver receives a warning that a re-gen is required, his first course of action should be to get onto the highway and start driving, Saxman explained.

In most cases, exhaust temperatures will reach a high enough temperature to facilitate a passive re-gen. If that’s not an option, a driver can perform a parked (or active) regeneration.

The driver can simply navigate through the driver display system and command the truck to conduct an active re-gen.

The engine brake on the D16 was barely audible, yet still provided enough muscle to hold us back on our lengthy descent down Fancy Gap.

Saxman said Volvo’s 07 engines are exceeding expectations now that they’ve accrued some real-world miles.

He said fuel economy has not been compromised and that drivers are happy with the new engines.

When it comes to performance, there’s no reason not to believe him. The D16 did everything you’d expect from it and performed admirably on a 232 mile test run.