Scania P280

In-depth

20 Apr

Written By Graham 'Kermie' Harsant

The Scania P280 - Introducing the company’s new 7 litre, 280 hp, 1200 Nm engine

Should you avoid it?

Should you consider it?

Should you shortlist it?

Should you just go right ahead and buy it?

If any of you are addicted to the Car Wow videos on You Tube, as I am, you will be familiar with Matt Watson and his wrap up of his road tests.

In what seems like an age ago, Scania invited me to a Christmas dinner in 2019. Parked outside the venue was their latest venture the P280 large rigid truck, powered by a 7 litre in-line six, developed in conjunction with Cummins.

A test drive was lined up for early 2020, but we all know what happened then. Finally the opportunity came to hop behind the wheel of the P280 late last week. The large rigid market is almost exclusively the province of the Japanese. Others have tried to snare a share of that market with varying degrees of success – or non-success.

So it is a brave move by Scania to invest resources into this sector.

We’ll list all the engine details at the end of this article for those who are technically inclined, but most of you will just want to know what the truck is like to live in. Maybe you’re in the market for a heavy rigid of maybe your boss is just going to hand you one. So what’s it like to drive and just as importantly to live in for 40+ hours a week?

From the outside the Scania P280 – the 280 denotes the horsepower – is a handsome truck. There’s no mistaking the brand from the front or side. Walk up to the truck, press a button on the key fob and the vehicle will run through a sequence checking headlights (high and low beam), indicators, hazards, daytime running lights, reversing buzzer, et al. Scania came up with this time-saving function which has since been copied by at least one other European manufacturer.

Press the unlock button once for the driver’s door only and twice to let the passenger in. Open the door to the wide cabin and, joy oh joy, there is a grab bar on both A and B pillars. The step up into the cab for this vertically challenged body was easy with the steps being well placed for entry and egress.

Once inside and your backside sits on an air-ride seat, originally from Recaro but updated by Scania with a softer squab in response to some criticism of the original’s firmer base. (After 5 hours behind the wheel, my overly sensitive coccyx felt just fine). Fold down armrests are included, giving armchair like comfort. Uncommonly, the passenger seat is also air-ride, which will be welcomed by those performing their daily duties two-up.

Looking around the cab and there is storage aplenty. More importantly it is all useful and useable! Overhead storage will take a log book, the glove box is a useful size, there are three cup holders, more stowage behind the seats and – hats off to Scania – they have addressed my major beef with many trucks in that the door pockets will take more than your mobile phone. You’ll have no trouble throwing extra drink bottles in these, although you won’t, because between and behind the seats, on a slide to pull it forward, is a neat fridge/freezer which – although shallow – will easily take two people’s drinks and packed lunches. In the larger cab version the fridge sits under the bunk.

The floor between seats is lower than previous models and carpeted, which beats the hell out of hard plastics. In fact all areas of the cab where you may place odds and ends have soft rubber surfaces to keep noise down and stop stuff sliding around.

The layout of the controls is logical and you’ll quickly become familiar with them. Many oft used controls are placed on the driver’s door sill. The multi-function screen on the console is bright and clear with good resolution and quick responses. The steering wheel has both reach and rake adjustment – the latter being able to move through a large arc while still giving a great view of the instrument cluster.

The wheel also has the usual controls on the spokes with cruise control at the bottom of the centre pad. I thought this would be better on one of the spokes, but in use while driving I found it to be a doddle and possibly the simplest cruise control I’ve come across.

On the left hand side of the dash sat an optional iPad-sized Scania Tablet. The screen displays not only a reversing camera with proximity lines, but also an overhead 360° view of the truck. It works a treat, allowing perfect placement of the vehicle in tight spaces.

If for example you need a more detailed view on the LH side, you simply flick the indicator in that direction and vice versa. The screen will stay on until 40 Kph whilst going forwards as well. An option at this point in time, the system is eventually expected to be integrated into the main multi-screen. In my opinion it’s a must-have.

Above the glovebox is a slide-out, then fold-out tray – useful for placing your lunch/tablet/paperwork on. Decked out in dark and light grey, there are simple chrome highlights around two sides of the air vents and another strip across the glovebox. Although used sparingly it gives the cab an upmarket feel. Fit and finish is up there with the best and together the ambience of the interior is very pleasing to the eye.

DRIVING

With a GVM of 19,500kg thanks to concrete blocks in the 14 pallet Curtainsider (up to 23 tons is available depending on spec), I start the motor and the 7 litre comes to life. You hear it in the distance but the cab is very well insulated. At 100Kph conversation can be held at normal talking levels. A 12 speed automatic, the gear lever is on the right of the steering column. Twist forward for Drive or in and back for Reverse. There is a two stage retarder activated by pulling the gear shifter back.

The rear vision mirrors are well placed with space between upper and lower which gives a line of sight. They are also placed a little further back than some, so a slight lean forward allows you to easily peer in front of them, further aiding vision on blind intersections.

Cabin insulation from outside noise is also great with just that distant hum of the motor underneath. Wind noise from the A pillars and around the mirrors is non-existent and it’s obvious that Scania has gone to a lot of effort in this regard.

The 7 litre engine produces peak torque of 1200Nm from 1050 to 1600rpm and sits at 1600rpm at 100Kmh. It is the smallest Scania has made in decades and with 19.5 tons GVM, performance is best described as stately, but the truck has no trouble keeping up with the other road users. There is a choice of Eco, Standard or Power modes and frankly Eco is just fine for tootling around the suburbs and in heavy traffic. If you lust after more power the 9 litre motor is available, but for many applications you may as well save fuel and turn the 360kg weight difference into payload.

Heading up the 3 kilometre incline that is Pretty Sally called for Power mode and the P280 handled it with aplomb. Gear changes – particularly in Eco mode – are not the quickest I’ve come across, feeling and sounding like a manual shift. This quickens in other modes. But you know? I really liked the feel of the shifts. It sort of added to the Stateliness of the truck.

Taking a wrong turn I found myself up a narrow dead-end road. Doing a 5-point turn around was a breeze with the 360° cameras. The (air) suspension handled different surfaces with aplomb. The truck not being fazed by ripples, potholes or anything else Australian roads threw at it.

Driving over various surfaces brought home how well the P280 is screwed together. Not once did I hear a squeak or a rattle. Although with only 31,000km on the clock, this test-bed vehicle has been pushed hard by the Scania crew, and a damn site harder by the various ‘take no prisoners’ trucking journos.

And here’s where I come to the best part of driving the P280. The steering in this truck is bloody superb! I’ve always placed Scania at the top of the tree for steering and this is no exception. It is beautifully damped but allows enough feel for the driver to know exactly what is happening with the steer wheels at all times. Those potholes do nothing to deviate the truck from its chosen path. Input into the steering sends instant response to the wheels.

The result is that you feel instantly as ease with, and confidant in the trucks ability to go exactly where you ask it to. When I was 12 my old mum (she was only 36 but all mums are old) took me out for driving lessons. Over the next six years she constantly drummed into me, “Two hands on the wheel!”

I have always done so throughout 56 years of driving and tried to instil the same habit in my three boys. Such is the confidence induced by this truck that I found myself driving one-handed a number of times and had to kick myself. It is so accurate, so well weighted and with such good feedback that the truck actually seems to shrink around you. It really does feel no bigger than, say a LandCruiser. It is magic to drive!

Running an equal first to the steering are the brakes. They are superbly progressive and again have excellent feel. Pulling 19.5 tons to a stop – either quickly or slowly – was equal to the best brakes I’ve ever had to use. I’m not just talking trucks here but cars as well!

There’s lots of other goodies on this Scania P280 from lane departure warning, auto emergency braking, a great sound system with Bluetooth streaming, axle load display on the dash, dual side curtain airbags (an industry first) and lots of other stuff. One ripper inclusion is the ability to lower the drive axle in the event that the truck is sitting on the drive wheels and the bogey axle. Press a button and voila – traction!

Another “Why didn’t I think of that?” innovation is that the bottom half of the grill folds down. Now you have a step (250kg load bearing) to stand on and make cleaning the windows a breeze.

**Scania’s National Product Manager - Trucks, Ben Nye, in modelling guise**

If you want a truck that you’ll look forward to climbing into every day, putting the stereo on, winding up the windows to shut the outside world away and love, love, love the stately way in which the P280 transports you and your cargo to the next gig, you just have to try the Scania P280 (or its P250 and P220 siblings)

So – to my opening lines. Would you avoid/consider/shortlist or buy this truck?

If it was me I’d just go right out and buy it.

If you’re not that rash, do yourself a favour and include it on your shortlist to test drive. You won’t be disappointed. Japanese OEM’s – there’s a new kid in town and you ignore the Scandinavian at your own peril. Good one Scania.

Cheers, Kermie.

PS: Over 31,000 km of hard driving at 19 ton GVM, the truck is returning within a smidgeon of 4 kilometres per litre.

Scroll on down for all the sales and techo guff …..

Scania Australia introduces a 7.0-litre engine to bring Australia’s safest truck’s technology and fuel-efficiency to a new segment of the market

· Scania introduces a family of Euro 6-compliant 7.0-litre engines intended mainly for urban and regional applications offering excellent fuel-efficiency

· Three power levels – 220 hp, 250 hp and 280 hp – from inline sixes, all share low noise levels, low weight and low consumption, around 360 kg lighter than Scania’s 9-litre 5-cylinder engine

· The Scania DC07 provides ideal performance and driveability (with up to
1,200 Nm of torque at just over 1,000 rpm) demanded by customers in challenging city and regional environments

The new 7.0-litre engine is the smallest truck engine Scania has offered in decades, in terms of both displacement and external dimensions. The engines are ideal for urban and regional distribution applications, and for loyal and new Scania customers.

As with the New Truck Generation range already launched in Australia, the new 7.0-litre models come as standard with steering wheel and industry-leading side curtain rollover airbag protection, optimising driver and passenger safety, making it the safest truck in the segment.

Further standout features are the exceptionally quiet engine, smooth-riding suspension delivering benchmark driver comfort, segment-leading ergonomics and instrumentation, including in-dash scales readouts for each axle set, and Scania’s legendary reliability and durability over the one-million-kilometres-plus working life of the vehicle.

“With our new engine family, we are widening the appeal of Scania’s product range to operators who have traditionally purchased lighter-duty trucks,” says Dean Dal Santo, Director of Truck Sales at Scania Australia.

“A key advantage is the 360 kg reduction in weight (compared with the Scania 5-cylinder 9.0-litre engine) and a significant improvement in fuel efficiency. This combination will meet the growing requirement for sustainable transport by urban and regional operators in Australia.

“Scania’s 7.0-litre range also comes with a choice of our 5-year/500,000 km maintenance offer included with the purchase or retail customers can choose our new factory scheduled repair and maintenance (R&M) offer for 2-years/
300,000 km. Both provide valuable and appealing operating costs savings for operators,” Dean says.

Scania’s Driver Services, fleet monitoring and aftersales contract maintenance are all offered with the 7.0-litre range, as well as Scania Finance Australia’s suite of purchasing and insurance services.

The technology and innovations behind Scania’s new 7.0-litre engines

The new inline six has been developed together with Cummins, Scania’s long-term partner in engine and component development. It has good low-rev, high torque characteristics and a fixed geometry turbocharger, and it uses only selective catalytic reduction (SCR) for the exhaust gas after-treatment to meet Euro 6 compliance.

“The Scania DC07 is based on a well-known and robust six-cylinder engine,” says Anna Wingren, Assistant Chief Engineer, Scania R&D. “We’ve added Scania’s accumulated knowledge about advanced diesel engines, including our own technology and developed a Scania platform offering unparalleled characteristics for applications where a torque level of up to 1,200 Nm is required.”

The new engine will appeal to operators in urban and regional distribution, and civil and urban infrastructure maintenance. Weight is often a challenge in these types of applications and is also usually the main reason why these operators have bypassed Scania solutions in the past.

The existing basic engine has been comprehensively developed. All of its monitoring and control systems are developed by Scania. In addition, it has been provided with a completely new turbocharger installation, and the new version uses Scania’s unique exhaust gas after-treatment system, developed in-house, with SCR-only, to reduce NOx emissions. A diesel particulate filter is also fitted.

“We had an extremely good starting point, which we have now transformed into a real Scania engine in all respects,” Anna says. “It’s silent, it has Scania’s ‘low rev/high torque’ philosophy and it is fuel-efficient – in fact, we’ve even managed to exceed the targets we set for ourselves.”

Anna Wingren explains that the major watershed in the project was when the team decided to use Scania’s own control units to obtain just the right characteristics and ensure perfect integration with Scania Opticruise and the diagnostics program SDP3.

“That choice also allowed us to delete the EGR system and choose a robust, fixed-geometry turbocharger, just like the majority of our other Scania engines,” she says.

“There are around a hundred new parts in all, with some, such as the new flywheel housing, mainly involved in interfacing with Scania’s modular system.

“The pushrods and four-valve technology work extremely well across the rev range,” Anna Wingren says. “Complex technology should never be an end in itself, but for Scania it’s a matter of creating customer value in the form of low consumption, robustness and reliability. That’s where this really engine delivers.”

In typical Scania style, the new engines offer their best torque from revs as low as 1,050 rpm all the way to 1,600 rpm. This provides very good driveability and, because of the low revs, the potential to save fuel. And like its larger siblings it uses thin low-friction oil, which contributes to the admirably low fuel consumption.

“With its 3.07:1 final drive ratio, the engine is turning over at just 1600 rpm at
100 km/h, which is far lower than most comparable motors from rival brands in this segment,” says Dean Dal Santo.

“The fuel savings this will return on longer freeway journeys can easily be imagined, as will the increased driver comfort and reduced fatigue as a result of the lower levels of noise, vibration and harshness from intruding into the cabin,” he says.

Compared with Scania’s well-known five-cylinder DC09 family – previously the first choice of many Scania customers in the applications and type of operation that the DC07 is geared to – the weight reduction is significant. This can amount to 360 kg, which can be converted to payload, all things being equal.

“We will continue to offer our proven and popular 9.0-litre engine in the P-series which is ideally suited to offering heavier twin-steer and 6x4 applications. The 7.0-litre will give us new strength in the lighter applications,” Dean says.

“As a delivery specification truck, the 7.0-litre might start the day with a gross laden weight of 18-tonnes but will soon be down to 10- to 12-tonnes, after having made a few deliveries. We always strive to tailor the right solution for our customers, based on their actual needs.

“Our goal is always to support our customers’ profitability,” Dean says. “Using Scania’s modular system allows us to offer so many engines and ensure that we always give customers the best total operating economy.”

“The difference between the 9.0-litre and 7.0-litre is greater than you first think,” Dean says. “We are convinced that many customers who drive solely or partly in city environments will appreciate this option. There are both purely practical advantages and a feeling of space and airiness, which are desirable in these types of applications.”

Australian specification includes airbag suspension over the front and rear axle sets, which permits the adoption of a standard weighing system that displays on the digital dashboard. This removes any possibility of drivers unwittingly being overloaded on any axle set.

Ride quality is a particular highlight of the 7.0-litre, soaking up rough road surfaces without relaying the bumps through the cabin to the driver, further enhancing driver appeal. Pitch and roll are both very well controlled.

The Scania P-series cab is also one of the slipperiest shapes in the truck market with tight panel fit and standard aerofoils at the side of the cab and on the roof, all helping to shave fuel consumption figures to the lowest possible level.

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