SEVERE-SERVICE CORONADO

Freightliner Trucks has introduced the new Coronado Severe Duty (SD) truck. Available in both set-back and set-forward axle configurations, with as much as a 50-degree wheel cut, the truck is said to improve upon the durability and dependability of the FLD SD while adding more driver comfort and style, plus several new elements specifically engineered for the vocational market. It’s available with the Detroit Diesel DD13, DD15, and DD16 engines, as well as the Cummins ISX, all to the 2010 emissions spec.

In front of its high-strength, light-weight aluminum cab, the Coronado SD’s fiberglass hood has been designed for maximum durability, says Freightliner. The fenders come standard with impact-absorbing material that’s said to help eliminate the damage and cracks common with vocational work. Its new headlights feature single, high-tech reflectors for “excellent lighting capability both forward and to the side.”

The Coronado SD’s cab is also equipped with updated doors. The outer door frame and belt rail are made from aluminum and combined with a steel inner reinforcement, said to result in a lightweight, sturdy design that provides excellent door sealing and less mirror vibration. A standard courtesy light illuminates the entry steps, and there’s a wide 70-degree door opening.

Dual intakes come standard on the new truck, air entering the system through two chromed steel grilles on either side of the hood. The air intake’s air plenum is designed to minimize the infiltration of water, snow, road debris or dust.

The truck is also equipped with a new single air filter with “improved” filtration capability. Also available are optional pre-cleaners that create a vortex effect to spin dust and heavy water particles out of the air and away from the engine. As a system, these components are said to have dust-holding capacity equal to or better than traditional external dual cleaners – while lasting longer between changes and saving money because only one filter is replaced instead of two.

Freightliner says some of the truck’s key features — such as its 90-degree hood tilt for easy engine access — were developed specifically with vocational drivers in mind. The truck’s headlight bulbs are readily available at any auto parts store, and are easily replaced without any special tools.

The Coronado SD’s large cab, with double-sealed doors and well-sealed windows, sports an all new dash with controls and switches located within easy reach, and gauges that are said to be well-lit and easily seen. All switches and instruments are backlit by LED lights for non-glare nighttime viewing, and extra-large panels provide greater flexibility and convenience in gauge combinations and installation of radios and navigation systems.

The dashboard was also designed with minimal joints to remove rattles and squeaks, claimed to be one of the quietest dashboards Freightliner engineers have ever designed. To further reduce noise, the Coronado SD includes noise abatement materials such as noise panels in the floor, front wall, sides and back panel.

The Coronado SD can be equipped with the Detroit Diesel BlueTec 1-Box configuration, which combines the diesel oxidation catalyst, diesel particulate filter and SCR catalyst into one component. Not only does it improve fuel economy by reducing backpressure, says Freightliner, but its design allows for a clean back of cab, a critical element for many vocational applications. The 1-Box configuration also eliminates the protruding exhaust tail pipe, so bodies can be mounted close to the back of the cab, optimizing weight distribution and maximizing payload.
 


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