Call it the ‘Smile Factor’

From page 18

ON the safety front, Scania beats all-comers by having, not only a driver’s airbag, but side curtain airbags as well.

Should you, for some inexplicable reason lay the truck on its side, there’s a roof hatch to crawl out of.

Add in Electronic Stability, Traction Control, Lane Departure Warning, Auto Hill Hold, Disks all round, Advanced Emergency Brak- ing, Adaptive Cruise, LED head and tail lights, checking of all lights from the key fob and air suspension front and rear.

For the life of me – and I value my life – I cannot see how anyone could get into trouble in this. The 5-stage retarder (plus engine exhaust brake – 300kW @ 2400rpm) is a beauty and will extend the life of those disc brakes.

Then there is the steering which I have raved about in the past. All those safety features are trumped by the best steering in the business.

Point it and that’s where it goes. The steering is why I had no need to find a sight line. On top of those air bags it is simply superb.

Inside the cab it is all classy Scania. The dashboard is black with red trim, complemented with a dark sand lower section.

The superbly comfortable seats are upholstered in premium leather with peripheral red stitching, embossed with a V8 logo because…. well because you just like to be reminded of what’s under the bonnet every time you climb into the cab. Call it ‘Smile Factor’.

There’s a double refrig- erator under a super comfy pocket spring mattress which extends in width from 800mm to 1000mm. There’s USB slots in the dash and the bunk area, DAB radio and a premium audio system.

A work bench folds out from the passenger side dash, that wonderful steering wheel is flat-bottomed, and leather wrapped and there is ancillary storage everywhere.

If you have to get in a truck, drive from Melbourne to Brisbane and get out at the other end feeling like you’ve just been around the block, then take a look at Scania. You won’t be disappointed. Did I mention that subdued V8 rumble?

Postscript: You’ve read that I’m an occasional B-double driver. Lindsay suggests a quick break at a servo ahead so I drive in.

Now I could have taken the wide gap to the right of the pumps but no. I go between two of them and too late realise that 1: there’s not much room ahead and, 2: I’m too close to the RH pumps. Dutifully looking into the rear view I can see that the rear axle on the B trailer is going to wipe out said pump. Embarrassment!

I suppose this could have been a good time to practise backing a B dub but I sheepishly left it to Lindsay to sort it. Still, as he politely put it, “You’ll know next time.”

Possibly to make me feel better, he also told me that I’d otherwise performed as well as most of the other (more seasoned) trucking journalists. Yay me!