VOLVO’S VT 880: DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

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Volvo’s new VT 880 felt good
in the Arizona desert.

Calling it a departure is perhaps a little mild as understatements go. Volvo’s new VT 880, in production as of this month, breaks totally new ground for a company
that has never before produced a long-nose truck. And a very bold nose it is.

Yet it’s like no other ‘large car’ out there, still a Volvo in spite of the squared lines, the set-forward front axle, the chromed stacks, and the exposed fuel tanks and
battery box. Based on the very successful VN series, and using the same cab, the
new tractor has a 200-in. BBC and the 77-in. raised-roof sleeper also seen on the
VN 780. The cab is set 8 in. further back on the frame compared to a VN, and the
steer axle is 12 in. further forward.

Volvo is attacking what it calls the “demanding long-haul” segment of the
owner-operator market with this premium machine. As if to prove that point, launched alongside it is a new line of 16-litre engines with one model at 625 hp and a whopping 2250 lb ft of torque. That’s the key reason for the long nose and the big grille, because cooling a big engine is a challenge these days, what with cooled exhaust-gas-recirculation gear that creates lots of heat. That grille covers a
1700-sq-in. radiator. The VE D16 line, introduced in Europe a year ago, is being
assembled at the Volvo Powertrain plant in Hagerstown, Md., using block and cylinder-head castings from Sweden. It starts with 500 horses and 1850 lb ft, and you can also order your VT 880 with optional Cummins ISX power from 475 to
565 hp, also with 1850 lb ft of torque.

So what does it feel like at the wheel? Terrific, in a word, but you’ll be as
disappointed as I was at the time to know that I couldn’t try the 625 on my hour-long drive. The only truck available for a test run at the VT 880’s recent
introduction in Phoenix, Arizona had a 550-horse D16 mated to an Eaton Fuller
18-speed. No slouch, for sure, with its 1850 lb ft of torque.

But I could have used another 400 lb ft on Interstate 17 running north out of
Phoenix, as I had to drop four gears on the first grade, a mile-long six-percenter.

To be honest, pulling a gross weight of 78,000 lb, I simply didn’t ‘manage’ that hill
very well, so having the 625’s extra torque to play with would simply have
disguised my rusty driving skills — I don’t get out enough. The engine actually felt strong, and it didn’t mind working at 1000 rpm.

Otherwise, the truck was spacious and comfortable on the inside, just like a VN.

No surprise there, because that’s exactly what it is interior-wise, though the VT’s interior trim packages are unique. I think it’s just as quiet as a VN, which is to say very quiet indeed. Looking out over that long hood was a pleasant surprise. Being sloped downward, I could see ahead almost as well as in a VN, though there’s a blind spot along the right side where cars can hide.

The other chief impression from my brief drive was that the VT 880 handles like a
Volvo – it tracked very well, requiring no extra steering input, and the ride was
typically smooth. The Volvo folks promised it would also be pretty much as
maneuverable as a VN, and I think they were right even with that set-forward steer
axle.

The strongest impression of all was that I wanted more time in this interesting new
truck. I would have been happy to keep heading north to Flagstaff and beyond, but
a full-bore road test was going to have to wait. In fact, we’ve set that up for late this month, so you’ll be able to read more about driving the VT 880 a couple of issues from now.

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Rolf Lockwood is editor emeritus of Today's Trucking and a regular contributor to Trucknews.com.


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