Scania Brings New Truck Generation to PH

Scania has recently released for the Philippine market its New Truck Generation.

The said trucks, which will replace their previous trucks, are designed and engineered to give fleet owners greater total operating economy and profitability, as well as lower CO2 emissions.

A result of a decade of development and work, the new truck range is worth PHP100 billion of investments in the region and more than 10 million kilometers of test-driving.

The latest roster is said to supply more performance stages, connectivity, and a comprehensive palette of productivity-enhancing services as well as sustainable transportation solutions that are customized for each type of customer in the transportation industry.

"It is the new biggest investment in the Scania world in the past 20 years, thanks to our skilled engineers, alongside insights from customers, drivers and more than two hundred thousand connected vehicles," Johan Gemback, regional sales director for trucks, Africa and Asia Pacific said.

The latest local offering has bagged several awards since its launch in Europe, such as the International Truck of the Year Award in 2017, Sustainable Truck of the Year for three consecutive years, and the Green Truck Award (R-series) from 2017-2019 for lowest fuel consumption and is named the most fuel-efficient and environmental- friendly commercial vehicle in its class.

"At Scania, we believe that sustainability and profitability goes hand in hand. Our approach to sustainable transport is based on these three pillars--Energy Efficiency, Alternative Fuels and Electrification and Smart & Safe Transport. And the bottom line is all about maximizing our customers’ profitability," Gemback added.

The new truck generation has been developed with a number of overall features in focus: fuel economy, driver environment, safety, optimum use of interior space, and maximum reliability.

The new trucks deliver an average of 5-percent lower fuel consumption thanks to the advanced powertrain, which result in exceptional fuel efficiency and driving  performance, and improved aerodynamics. Every surface, has been optimized for minimum drag. Even components like wipers, rear-view mirrors and all the various lights have been designed with such consideration.

The interior ergonomics of the cab design enhances comfort and functionality. Drivers can now drive more safely with a better view of the road due to a lower instrument panel and optimized A-pillars combined with the positioning of the driver 6.5 millimeters closer to the windscreen and 20 millimeters towards the side.

A first in the Philippines, the new truck generation has optional features like rollover side curtain airbags, which can potentially reduce fatalities from rollover accidents by up  to 25 percent.

Together with seat belt use, rollover side curtain airbags are a crucial safety feature in preventing serious injury to the driver. It also features a more robust monocoque structure with high tensile steel, engineered in collaboration with Scania's sister company, Porsche Engineering.

Apart from the advanced emergency braking system, the new generation has built in a number of new safety features such as the design of the steering column is placed directly beneath the steering wheel to absorb impact energy and reduce impact force to the driver during incidents.

Optional camera sensors and other warning systems are also available to further enhance safety.

The new generation continues to adopt Scania's unique modular system, where customers can customize their vehicle configurations according to their choice of cabs, engines and chassis. This system maximizes spare parts availability and minimizes downtime for vehicles needing repairs and replacements, allowing customers to benefit from incremental revenues.

Customers can also leverage the connectivity of the trucks to use the Fleet Management System for real-time tracking of the trucks. These connected services yield real-time data and long-term trends for fleet owners and operators to plan how to manage their vehicles and drivers.

Scania also conducts driver training and coaching to upgrade the skills of drivers to be able to increase fuel efficiency and road safety.

"Our customers have come to recognize us as their partners in helping make their business flourish. We work very closely with them to ensure they will always be able to  carry out their work in the most sustainable and profitable way, regardless of industry  and area of application," said Leilani Lim-Tan, vice president of BJ Mercantile, Inc., the  local distributor of Scania.